Faberge Eggs

Gratefully this very well written and designed volume 'Fabergé Eggs' by Susanna Pfeffer is back in circulation. It celebrates the fantasy of art for the particular audience of Czarist Russia from 1885 to the decline of the Czars, but as with all true art the legend and the art lives on. Though most everyone knows about the creations of Peter Carl Fabergé of the House of Fabergé who created the first Russian Easter Egg in 1885, few will have seen the extent of the genre as published in this book. Susanna Pfeffer provides an informative introduction about the history of the first Egg and then follows the prominence of the strange and beautiful art form through the awards bestowed at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris where the Imperial Eggs were on display for the first time outside the palaces. She then follows her survey of Russian history with full page color photographs of forty of the eggs accompanied by a brief but interesting capsule of history of each egg's creation and meaning. The Eggs themselves are shown in dazzling color with some of the eggs 'inner secrets' shared on separate pages: fold out screens of military conquests, small crowned hens of gold and rubies, portraits etc) allow the reader to know more about each egg than the casual museum goer. This book is well designed and on fine paper and is the best of the 'affordable' books on this fascinating interplay of art and politics! Worth scouting around to find a copy before they disappear again. Grady Harp, January 08

The information contained in this book was easily accessed and was straight-forward in its content. This book is lovely and displays nicely as a coffee table book. The only problem I found with it is that some eggs were omitted. The one coming to mind is the Military Egg. I have seen this egg and though it is unusual in its lack of jewels, its simplicity deserves mention. I believe that there is one, maybe two more omitted, but as I am writing this, I am unable to bring those to mind. This is a beautiful book, but is not definitive as the best book to answer questions regarding the Faberge eggs.

As an egg artist of Fabarge style egg art, I highly recommend this book to other artists as well as those who are not interested in actually making this type of art. You will still be moved.

Having just recently been in the Armoury at the Kremlin and seeing the Faberge Eggs they have there and being absolutely blown away by them I was very pleased to be able to purchase this book even though is was the 1990 edition. The book shows the eggs in close up often with the fancy inside shown in more detail and a small essay on each one, how it was made and the significance of what it portrays. They are the most fabulous things not neccessarily because of the jewels involved (which are just wonderful) but mainly because of the incredible workmanship involved in the mechanics of them I can never forget the Trans Siberian Egg with the little solid gold five carriage and engine train which goes by clockwork! The book was just great especially showing eggs I haven't seen if you are interested in these extraordinary eggs I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.

This book is worthwhile whether the reader wants an introduction to Faberge easter eggs or is already familiar with these masterpieces. It provides a history of Peter Carl Faberge and his works. It includes photographs of forty easter eggs, most of them being the Imperial easter eggs which were gifts from Alexander III and Nicholas II to their wives or the dowager empress. Other less well known but also spectacular eggs are included. The photographs show the eggs and surprises to their best advantage. The corresponding descriptions provide information about the significance of each egg. There were some eggs in this book that I had never seen in other books, including Imperial easter eggs that apparently have not been part of recent museum tours. I first bought the Christopher Forbes book in paperback, but returned it because I was disappointed with it. I will be keeping this one.