  When Czar Nicholas II presented the delicate Rose Trellis Egg to his wife Empress Alexandra on Easter morning 1907, he also presented the Cradle with Garlands Egg to his Mother, the Dowager EmpressMaria Fedorovna. The Cradle with Garlands Egg has also been called the Trophy Egg but the name Cradle with Garlands Egg is more fitting. It was a tradition that the appearance and contents of the Faberge Easter Eggs were adapted to events in the life of the Romanov family. Both the Rose Trellis Egg and the Cradle with Garlands Egg were commissioned to celebrate the birth of Czarevich Alexei Nicholaievich, son of Czar Nicholas II - the long awaited heir to the Romanov throne. The egg suggests a cradle decorated with garlands and the original surprise was the first portrait of the Czarevich in a medallion surrounded by diamonds. The egg, of an elegant pale blue enamel guilloche, is crafted in the Louis XVI style. The top is accented with a border of pink enamel roses, emerald green enameled vines and panels of oyster enamel. It sits in a crystal studded gold cradle that is supported by four columns depicting Cupid's arrows set with crystals and is accented with a hanging garland of pink enameled roses. The whole is supported by a carved base accented with pink flowers on a blue enamel field and stands on four golden bun feet. A surprise of a jeweled medallion rests in the lined interior. Size: 6-1/2"H in Stand.
|