This egg was made by the Fabergé firm in 1903 from gold, silver-gilt, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, enamel, rock crystal and watercolor on ivory. The last czar of Russia, Nicholas II, presented the egg to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna. The surprise inside the egg is a miniature gold replica of the Peter the Great equestrian statue.

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The other thing we did in Richmond was visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, not something I’d normally do on a first visit to a place, but I have long wanted to see their collection of five Fabergé eggs, and this was my chance to do it.

Surveying his territory, posted earlier: