Summary
A rare Fabergé egg, called the Winter Egg, sold for a record £22.9 million ($30.2 million) at an auction in London. This egg, once owned by Russia's imperial family, was bought by an anonymous bidder.
Key Facts
- The Fabergé egg sold for £22.9 million in London, setting a new record for such an item.
- It was originally commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1913 as a gift for his mother.
- The previous record for a Fabergé egg was £8.9 million in 2007.
- The egg is decorated with 4,500 diamonds and platinum snowflake motifs.
- It measures 8.2 cm (3.2 inches) high and opens to reveal a basket of white quartz flowers.
- Carl Fabergé created the egg, with design input from Alma Theresia Pihl.
- Out of 50 Fabergé eggs made for the Romanov family, only seven, including this one, are privately owned.
