An Exceptionally Rare Royal Romanov Egg Pendant by Faberge

Made in St. Petersburg between 1908 and 1917

A carved reddish brown jasper miniature egg is applied with a cypher of Grand Duchess Ksenia (Xenia) Alexandrovna (sister of Tsar Nicholas II) –

a gold Russian Imperial crown and two interlaced letters ‘K’ and ‘A’.

A quartz egg with a gold cypher ‘ OA ‘ of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (the other sister of Tsar Nicholas II)

from the Mrs. Pratt collection of Faberge, is now at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

The ‘OA’ cypher is done in the same manner as the ‘KA’ cypher, and it was made by the same workmaster – Andre Adler.

The Romanovs had many varieties of their cyphers and monograms.

This particular type – two plain letters crossing each other at 45 degrees, forming a Saint Andrew cross ( a patron saint of Russia), first appeared around 1890.

Such cyphers were frequently used in letter heads and book plates of the Romanovs.

A direct connection to the Imperial family makes this small Faberge egg pendant very important historically.

Miniature eggs with cyphers of the members of the Romanov family

were commissioned to Faberge and were made exclusively for the tsarist family in very small numbers.

They were never sold to general public. Such eggs were given as Easter gifts to members of the royal family and ladies in waiting.

Height without suspension ring – 17 mm (11/16 in.)

Marked with 56 zolotnik gold standard (14K) and workmaster’s initials ‘AA’ for Andre Adler.
Tsar Alexander III family the top row: Tsarevich Nicholas (later Tsar Nicholas II), his brother George and their sister Ksenia.
Empress Maria Feodorovna (mother of Nicholas II) with her two daughters: Olga (left) and Ksenia (right) listening to the 1906 Throne speech of Nicholas II at the Winter Palace.
Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna, circa 1910