Crystal Fabergé egg crafted for Russian royalty shatters record and sells for $30.2 million

LONDON AP A rare crystal and diamond Faberg egg crafted for Russia s ruling family before it was toppled by revolution shattered records Tuesday as it sold at auction for million pounds million The Winter Egg which was compared to the iconic Mona Lisa was just one of seven of the opulent ovoids remaining in private hands Christie s London auction house disclosed The -inch -centimeter tall egg is made from finely carved rock crystal covered in a delicate snowflake motif wrought in platinum and tiny diamonds It opens to reveal a removable tiny basket of bejewelled quartz flowers symbolizing spring The sale price which included a buyer s premium topped the million paid at a Christie s auction for another Faberg egg created for the Rothschild banking family Craftsman Peter Carl Faberg and his company created more than of the eggs for Russia s imperial family between and each elaborately unique and containing a hidden surprise Czar Alexander III started the tradition by presenting an egg to his wife each Easter His successor Nicholas II extended the gift to his wife and mother Czar Nicholas II commissioned the egg for his mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna as an Easter present in It was one of two eggs created by female designer Alma Pihl her other egg is owned by Britain s royal family The Romanov royal family ruled Russia for years before the revolution ousted it Nicholas and his family were executed in Bought by a London dealer for pounds when the cash-strapped Communist executives sold off a few of Russia s artistic treasures in the s the egg changed hands several times It was assumed lost for two decades until it was auctioned by Christie s in for more than million Swiss francs million at the time It sold again in for million Each time the egg has sold it has set a world record price for a Faberg item Christie s declared Margo Oganesian the head of Christie s Russian art department called the egg the Mona Lisa for decorative arts a superb example of craft and design There are surviving imperial Faberg eggs the bulk in museums