Fabergé unveils a Game of Thrones egg

Fabergé has introduced a Game of Thrones-themed egg. “It may seem like an unlikely partnership but when you look closely there are actually many parallels between these two household names coming together,” says Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, the Global Sales Director of Fabergé.

Von dem Bussche-Kessell explained: “The piece and corresponding work around it, took around three years from start to finish and certainly had a lot of fascinating – and in some cases outright difficult – twists and turns. The Fabergé Game of Thrones egg is definitely a celebration of perseverance, teamwork and tenacity as much of the work had to be done during Covid and lockdown times so aside from the complicated piece itself, we were also facing many external challenges across the board.”

Von dem Bussche-Kessell points out that the three dragon eggs that were realised actually bore surprising similarities to the Fabergé Pine Cone Egg of 1900 and, “it became clear that the commemorative piece would have to be an egg objet”.

The brand also wanted to ensure that homage was paid to Fabergé’s creative imagination and technical supremacy. Initial brainstorms were held with Michele Clapton, GoT’s award-winning costume designer, who is credited with having been the creative backbone of the ten-year series, and she was involved throughout the process as it progressed.

“Colours were very much taken from some of the series’ costumes and of course symbolic references were taken from the rich tapestry that is the Game of Thrones story,” says Von dem Bussche-Kessell. And the choice of materials, gemstones and techniques were very much a Fabergé guided process.

Clearly, it all paid off. The egg has been bought.

“The final egg exceeded my wildest expectations,” says the owner of the egg, who wishes to remain anonymous. “The level of sophistication achieved in the use of colour with the selected gemstones was a revelation, and the wonder of enamel over the hand etching for texture was also incredible and allowed us to tell our story of Daenerys life and dreams so beautifully. The engineering of the egg was also mesmerising, and I was particularly pleased with the way that the outer layer opened followed by the second winged layer to reveal the surprise. Every design element of the egg had a reason to be there and to me as a designer this adds to the beauty of the piece and seems to fit well into the History and ethos of Fabergé.”

They continue: “Whilst I am not one of those die-hard Game of Thrones fans, I was very aware of the cultural phenomenon the series had become over the last decade and knew that this piece was going to be special. I also learnt about the individuals involved in the making and Michele’s work is unbelievably impressive. To be able to bring characters alive on screen in such a way that their costumes, their look and feel tell their own stories (beyond that of the series’ narrative) is mind blowing to me. I felt privileged to have been able to purchase the piece and Fabergé gifted me a special book which documented the making of the piece”.

Where might the piece end up and will we be able to see it?

“I definitely want this piece to be enjoyed by other people too as I think it is too incredible to sit inside a safe. I discussed with Fabergé the possibility to showcase the piece in different locations across the world and I have since loaned the piece back to Fabergé for them to exhibit it. It fills me with pride to know that I own the piece but that it will bring joy and a moment of ‘wow’ to all different people from
different walks of life.

“Ultimately, it is an art piece and the value is in as much as it is in the precious materials and the unparalleled craftsmanship as it is in the amount of excitement it conveys. I hope that the piece will be on show in extraordinary places and spaces and I know Fabergé have been approached by different countries and museums to have the piece on loan. In that way, I am not a selfish collector but one that likes to share and want people to learn and discover as I had the privilege to”.

Like this? Read all about the Faberge dynasty