Forbes Family to Sell Faberge Imperial Eggs
January 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The family of late publisher Malcolm Forbes said Thursday it would sell the world's largest private collection of fabled Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs and other Faberge creations for an estimated $90 million.
The eggs, considered a standard for rare treasures, were first commissioned by Russian Czar Alexander III from the House of Faberge master crafters in 1885 as Easter gifts for his wife, Czarina Maria Feodorovna. The tradition continued for 30 years in the Romanov imperial family.

There are 50 Imperial Easter Eggs in the world, including the nine owned by the Forbes family. Sotheby's auction house said the nine eggs and 180 other Faberge pieces from the collection would be offered at auction in New York on April 20 and 21. A presale public exhibition opens on April 12 at Sotheby's.

There are 10 in the Moscow Kremlin Collection, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in the United States has five and Britain's Queen Elizabeth owns three. The others are in the United States, Switzerland and Monaco, but eight are unaccounted for, Sotheby's said.

Forbes, publisher of Forbes Magazine, collected the Imperial eggs and other objects made by the House of Faberge. They have been displayed at Forbes Galleries and shows worldwide since his death 14 years ago.

The family said in a statement that Forbes had left it to his children to decide whether or not to sell one of the collections, but he hoped that it would be auctioned for others to enjoy.

"The family has now decided it is time to make this unique treasure trove available to other collectors so they may have the thrill of owning a rare and exquisite work of Faberge," the statement said. "Also, the sale will allow each of us to pursue our own individual interests, something our family has always valued."

The last Faberge Imperial egg to go on auction was sold for $9.57 million at Christie's in April 2002, a Sotheby's spokesman said.

The highlight of April's auction will be the Coronation Egg, considered one of the most valuable objects made by Faberge. It was commissioned by Nicholas II after he was crowned in Moscow to present to his Czarina on Easter in 1897.

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.

[URL=http://search.sothebys.com/liveauctions/tfc/index.html]Details at the Sothebys webseite[/URL]

some picture of the Forbes collection:

[IMG]http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040108/i/r4215984517.jpg[/IMG]

The Order of St. George Egg, shown here, a Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg Presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his mother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna at Easter 1916, is estimated to sell for $4 to $6 million.




[IMG]http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040108/i/r2928550535.jpg[/IMG]

The Orange Tree (Bay Tree) Egg, shown here, a Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his mother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna at Easter 1911, is estimated to sell for $10 to $15 million.




[IMG]http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20040108/mdf441889.jpg[/IMG]

The eggs, considered a standard for rare treasures, were first commissioned by Russian Czar Alexander III from the House of Faberge master crafters in 1885 as Easter gifts for his wife, Czarina Maria Feodorovna. (Sotheby's/Reuters)


[IMG]http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040108/i/r1615801734.jpg[/IMG]




The Coronation Box, shown here, a Fabergé gold, enamel and diamond-set Imperial presentation box, circa 1897, is estimated to sell for an estimated $1.5 to $2 million.

[IMG]http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040108/i/r163468949.jpg[/IMG]

The Fifteenth Anniversary Egg, a Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his wife the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna at Easter 1911 is shown here. It is estimated to sell for $10-$15 million.

[IMG]http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040108/i/r986903930.jpg[/IMG]


The egg pictured in this undated handout image is the Coronation Egg presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna at Easter in 1897.

[IMG]http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040108/i/r550191541.jpg[/IMG]



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