Egg Decorating: The Fabergé Colonnade Egg

 One of the four eggs in the collection of Elizabeth II Regina

When Tsar Alexander III passed away in 1894, the tradition was continued by his son, Tsar Nicholas II who commissioned Fabergé to create Easter eggs for both his wife and his mother every year until 1917.
the Colonnade Egg was created in 1910 to depict the Imperial family with columns surrounding a pair of platinum doves that represent the enduring love between the Tsar and his wife, and four figures seated around the base, holding a flower garland to represent the Tsar’s four daughters. the gold egg itself, enameled in pale pink works as a clock with white enameled dial and rose-cut diamond numerals set in a band round the egg.

This Imperial Easter Egg – which incorporates a rotary clock in its design, the movement supplied to Fabergé by Henry Moser & Cie – is in the form of a classical temple. The colonnade of pale green bowenite columns supports the pink guilloché enamelled egg, surmounted by a cupid. Below a pair of platinum doves sits on a truncated column and around the base four female silver-gilt cherubs hold garlands of roses in red, white, green and yellow gold. This Easter egg is an allegory of the imperial family in 1910.