This egg very much resembles the "Chanticleer Egg", that was made for the Kelch Family. The egg is covered in pink colored enamel, and decorated with laurel swags of gold. It stands on a three-sided pedestal enameled in the same color, with gold trophy ornaments framed with white enamel on each side. The clock's dial is also enameled white.
Every hour an enameled, diamond-set cockerel pops up from inside the egg, flaps his wings four times and then nods his head three times while opening and closing his beak and crowing. This performance goes on for around fifteen seconds before the clock strikes the hour.
This egg was an engagement gift from Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild to Germaine Halphen, when Germaine got engaged to Beatrice's younger brother Baron Edouard de Rothschild. Until 2007 the "Rothschild Clock Egg" remained in the Rothschild family, but on November 28 that year it was sold by Christie's in London to Russian art collector and businessman Alexander Ivanov, for 8,980,500 pounds (including commission). Eventually it was displayed at Ivanov's Fabergé Museum in Baden-Baden, Germany.
So pretty, love that pink...not usually a pink person, but it is quite pretty. I can imagine it setting in the hallway on a pedestal thing or in the room & you pass it to see the time, the little cockerel inside is precious and the fact that he moves, makes it even better :)) I'd like to see it :)) Have a wonderful weekend doll...keep warm!! <3
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the clock on the egg in combination with the cockerel or as I so cleverly thought up on the spot "the cock and the clock" haha :P I do love this egg though in all seriousness Miss Meadows, it's actually awesome, if I got this as any kind of gift let alone an engagement one I would be a very happy man.
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