Russia’s Porcelain Musical Egg: Whispers of Faberge and the Romanovs
The craftsmanship and alliance between Fabergé’s work and the royal family of Russia lasted from 1885 to 1917. Soon after, the Romanov dynasty ended in brutal murder and the world was swept into the bitter turmoil of the Russian Revolution and World War One. The opulence and elegance of this gilded era in world history is captured forever in the Fabergé eggs, so masterfully reproduced today by Russian designer, Natalia Zaitseva.
The inside of this heirloom musical egg contains a hand-painted pewter centerpiece of Clara dancing with her nutcracker. Crafted from the finest lustrous triple-fired porcelain, this beautiful egg is ornately decorated with raised relief, 22K gold accents, and 100 hand-set faux jewels and Swarovski crystals. The base of the egg offers a panorama in the Russian Palekh black-lacquer technique, which is rooted in a long history of icon painting craft that dates back to early 1930s in the village of Palekh in the Ivanovo area, along the bank of the Paleshk River. The region is considered the textile capital of Russia.
The methods of artists using this noble technique were rich and varied. From the start, Palekh artists studied and kept old Russian art traditions close to their hearts. After the 1917 revolution, when the icon business went into the deepest of declines, Palekh masters tried their hands at decorating art wood tableware, kitchen utensils, toys, dishes, porcelain and glass. As it turned out, the most interesting way was the painting of paper-maché boxes that became the black-lacquered miniature of today.
Master designer, Natalia Zaitseva, has made many beautiful eggs, each one measuring 6-1/2" high x 4" wide (11 oz.), numbered and coming with a certificate of authenticity. These heirloom eggs make delightful and unusual holiday gifts sure to enchant for many years to come.
You can buy this at Hammacher
M Dee Dubroff
Fashion and Technology Innovations