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Miniature Crown Surprise from the Lapis Lazuli Easter Egg

Peter Carl Fabergéc. 1885–90

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

This Easter egg, like the subsequent ones produced by Fabergé for the imperial family, contains a surprise when opened. In this case, the egg opens to display a yellow enameled cover, resembling an egg yolk, which then opens to reveal a tiny replica of the Russian imperial crown, containing either a ruby or a pink sapphire suspended on a chain.

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Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: Miniature Crown Surprise from the Lapis Lazuli Easter Egg
  • Creator: Peter Carl Fabergé (Russian, 1846–1920), House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918)
  • Date Created: c. 1885–90
  • Provenance: India Early Minshall [1885–1965], Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Miscellaneous
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1966.436.b
  • Medium: gold, enamel, lapis lazuli, pearls, diamonds, rubies
  • Fun Fact: The tiny diamond encrusted crown surprise is a replica of the Russian imperial crown made for Empress Catherine the Great in the 1700s.
  • Department: Decorative Art and Design
  • Culture: Russia, St. Petersburg
  • Credit Line: The India Early Minshall Collection
  • Collection: Decorative Arts
  • Accession Number: 1966.436.b
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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