1899 The Bouquet of Lilies Egg
Alexandra Feodorovna
Purchase price: 6,700 rubles.
This clock-egg takes the form of a flower vase in the Louis XVI style. It is enameled in orange and partitioned by twelve bands of rose-cut diamonds. The clockface of white enamel rotates between two bands of rose-cut diamonds, with the numerals also set in the same. The top is surmounted by a rosette of laurel leaves of green gold, above it a mouth of smooth red gold, from which emerges a wreath of roses in red gold, yellow gold and platinum, with leaves of green gold. Over the wreath stands a bouquet, its stems and leaves made of green gold, its flowers in light-colored agate. The flower cores are made of gold and rose-cut diamonds. The Egg is supported on either side by mounts taking the form of ornaments of green and red gold, in places set with rose-cut diamonds. The clock hand is likewise set with rose-cut diamonds. The lower end of the Egg features a rosette of green gold. A slender column of orange enamel descends from the rosette, applied with a single row of rose-cut diamonds, as well as six protracted bands, also of rose-cut diamonds: it terminates in a wreath, its leaves made of green gold, tied with ribbons set with rose-cut diamonds. The column rests on a rectangular pedestal applied with twelve rose-cut diamonds along its edges. The whole of the composition is set on an oblong pedestal of gold, enameled in orange. The pedestal is applied with ornaments of red and green gold, its lower border set with twelve rose-cut diamonds. One side of the pedestal bears the year 1899, laid out in rose-cut diamonds and topped with a star made with a single rose-cut diamond. The pedestal stands on four feet of green and red gold.
In the collection of the Kremlin Armory Museum, Moscow.