Record $30.2 Million Auction for Fabled Fabergé 'Winter Egg'

A legendary Fabergé egg, created for Russia's last imperial family, sold for a record $30.2 million at Christie's in London on Tuesday. The object, known as the Winter Egg, is one of only seven such ornate eggs remaining in private hands. The 10-centimeter (four-inch) tall masterpiece is carved from rock crystal. Its surface features a delicate snowflake pattern made from platinum and diamonds. Christie's auction house had described the piece as the "Mona Lisa" of Fabergé eggs. It was crafted in 1913 for Tsar Nicholas II to give to his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna. The sale price of £22.9 million shattered the previous auction record for a Russian work of art. The egg was last sold at auction in 2002 for $9.6 million.