Rolls Royce is renowned for the most luxurious cars on the plant. And the latest luxury object introduced by the UK-manufacturer can really stand as a unique piece of art.
Two of the world’s most esteemed houses of luxury have joined forces to create one unique objet d’art, for one discerning patron. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Fabergé proudly announce the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Fabergé Egg.
For the first time in history, an iteration of the Spirit of Ecstasy, the enigmatic mascot that has adorned Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911, is cocooned in an exquisite, contemporary, Fabergé Egg. The design, conceived by Rolls-Royce Designers Stefan Monro and Alex Innes and rendered by Fabergé Lead Designer Liisa Talgren, has been brought to life by Fabergé workmaster Paul Jones, creating a contemporary interpretation of one of the world’s most fabled and prized possessions.
The second to be commissioned in the ‘Imperial Class’ since 1917 – a category reserved only for Fabergé’s most illustrious creations – celebrates the history, heritage and legend for which both Rolls-Royce and Fabergé have been revered over more than a century.
The Egg connects the elements that lie at the very core of each marque – the Spirit of Ecstasy, the illustrious muse that has guided each Rolls-Royce motor car for over a century, and the form of a Fabergé Egg.
A team of seven craftspeople from Fabergé undertook the challenge of fabricating the design using the finest materials married with their extraordinary skill as artist jewellers. At first glance, the Egg is unmistakable in its character. Design cues from Fabergé’s heritage are masterfully woven into the intricate design which stands at 160mm and weighs just 400g, with the Egg harnessing the ‘surprise and delight’ attributes for which Imperial Eggs are celebrated.
The Egg rests on an engine-turned, hand-engraved, purple enamel guilloché base of 18 karat white gold. Arms of rose gold define the shape of the Egg, acting as a protective chamber for the Egg’s precious inhabitant.
The ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Fabergé Egg adopts a highly complex operating mechanism, conceived through computer aided design and animation, developed with micro engineering. The success of this mechanism, and in turn the piece as a whole, can be attributed to the goldsmiths’ art as craftspeople and their ability to meld this skill with technology, creating a work of art that could not be created by man alone. The piece embodies both the artistic design and engineering skill that one expects from a collaboration between Rolls-Royce and Fabergé, and has probably the most complicated opening of any Fabergé Egg to date.
