FABERGE EGGS

Continuing a practice initiated by his father, Alexander III, Tsar Nicholas 1901. Faberge's revival of 18th-century techniques, including the application of multiple layers of translucent enamel over guilloche or mechanically engraved gold, is demonstrated in the shell of this Egg. When opened, the Egg reveals a miniature replica of the Gatchina Palace, the Dowager Empress's principle residence outside St. Petersburg. So meticulously did Faberge's workmaster, Mikhail Perkhin, execute the palace that one can discern such details as cannons, a flag, a statue of Paul I (1754-1801), and elements of the landscape, including parterres and trees. The miniature palace is fixed inside the Egg and cannot be removed from it, unlike the 1908 Alexander Palace Egg, which Faberge would create seven years later for Alexandra Fyodorovna.
The Gatchina Palace was Alexander III's favorite palace and after his death in November 1894, the Dowager Empress retained Gatchina as her winter home, even though he did not share her husband's enthusiasm for the Palace. Obviously, Maria Fyodorovna's distaste for Gatchina either faded or remained a well-kept secret. Faberge would certainty not have created this Egg otherwise.
The village Gatchina was a small sleeping village when Catherine II (Catherine the Great) decided to build a palace there for her lover, Grigori Orlov, who helped her to the thrown after a coup in which Catherine's husband (Peter III) was killed. Work started in 1766 and Catherine was constantly overseeing the works.
After Orlov died, Catherine bought the palace from his heirs and gave it to her son Paul Petrovich. Paul hated the idea that Gatchina was build for the murderer of his father, but nevertheless he become fond of the Palace. The Gatchina Palace was abandoned by Paul's son, Alexander I but was used again by Nicholas I, who build two new quarters. The Tsars Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II used the palace from time to time but did not change much on the exterior.

The 1901 Gatchina Palace Egg is made of "quatre-couleur" gold, opalescent white enamel, opaque red, yellow and green enamel, diamonds, seed pearls and velvet lining. The miniature palace is made of quatre-couleur gold. The Egg is divided into twelve panels by lines of pearls. Portrait diamonds are set at either end, but the monogram and the year of presentation, which were probably set beneath them, have been removed. The gold Egg is enameled opalescent white over a guilloche ground, under painted in a delicate design of green and gold leaves, pink roses and red ribbons tied into a variety of bows.