A masterpiece of treasury art returns to its roots: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden granted Golden Egg of Augustus the Strong on permanent loan

Die Staatlichen Kunstsammlun

With the help of the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung (EvS) art foundation, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden will be acquiring the legendary Golden Egg, once kept in the Grünes Gewölbe.

The egg is a precious object that once had pride of place in the treasure chamber of Augustus the Strong, who acquired the piece in 1705 at the Leipzig Easter Fair. In 1924, it came into the possession of the House of Wettin as compensation for the German princes' expropriation in 1918. Now, thanks to the support of the EvS art foundation, this rarity is to be returned to the Grünes Gewölbe on permanent loan.

The egg, which is just under five centimetres high, is full of surprises. When the wider end is unscrewed, a tiny hen appears, with ruby eyes and enamelled plumage. Inside the hen is a crown set with diamonds and pearls. The crown, too, can be opened to reveal a ring featuring one large diamond surrounded by smaller gemstones. The base of the crown is inset with a seal engraved with a ship on a stormy sea. The French inscription above it reads “CONSTANT MALGRE L’ORAGE” (“steadfast despite the storm”). The other, tapering end of the egg can also be unscrewed, bringing to light a semi-spherical lid covering a pipe on which a perfumed sponge was probably once fitted.

The Golden Egg combines valuable materials, exquisite craftsmanship, profound symbolism and exuberant innovation. In the 19th century it was one of the most famous items in the collection and left a deep impression, among others, on the young Peter Carl Fabergé on a visit to Dresden at the start of the 1860s. It was undoubtedly the source of inspiration for the first of the Easter eggs he made for the Russian tsar.

Only two pieces that are comparable in their structure and style have survived from the 18th century. One is in the care of the Kunstkammer at Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Austria; the other is in the Royal Danish Collection at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Marius Winzeler, Director of the Grünes Gewölbe and Rüstkammer: “It is a huge stroke of luck for us to recover the Dresden Golden Egg! This little piece closes a big gap in the holdings of one of Europe’s most important treasuries. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung for this precious object returning to Dresden after almost a century – in no small part thanks to liaison work by a member of the friends association Freunde des Grünen Gewölbes e. V.”

Dirk Syndram, former Director of the Grünes Gewölbe and Rüstkammer: “I spent more than twenty years in search of Augustus the Strong’s Golden Egg. Now, it has not just reappeared, but will be returning to the collection it was purchased for in 1705! And that’s wonderful!”

Martin Hoernes, Secretary General of the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung: “Seize every opportunity! – that’s what the entrepreneur and founder of the foundation, Ernst von Siemens, always drummed into us. The return of Augustus the Strong’s vanished Golden Egg is an absolutely unique opportunity. And that is why we made the purchase possible without further ado, not forgetting the numerous funds granted to Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in the recent past: Giambologna’s ‘Mars’, the Meissen bowl from the Foscari service, the oval chandelier for the Kaiserzimmer, several paintings by Oskar Zwintscher and, most recently, Ernst Barlach's ‘Pregnant Girl’. These are all new jewels in the crown for Saxony as a region of culture; and the Golden Egg is an outstanding precious object!”

In future, the Golden Egg will be exhibited in the Neues Grünes Gewölbe at the Residenzschloss in Dresden, where it will be presented alongside other early precious items collected by Augustus the Strong. To give the valuable piece the welcome it deserves, a restoration project is being launched, initially for five items, thanks to the generous support of the friends association for the Grünes Gewölbe.