1896 Twelve Monogram Egg / Alexander III Portraits Egg
Gift Nicholas
II to Maria Fyodorovna
Made in Saint Petersburg
Owner: Hillwood Museum, Washington, DC, USA,
The
Marjorie Merriweather Post Collection
Height: 7,9 cm
The 12 Monogram Egg/Alexander III Portraits Egg, (also known as 12 Panel
Egg), is made of translucent blue enamel, red gold, rose-cut diamonds,
portrait diamonds and velvet lining. The gold Egg
is covered with
six panels, each divided by bands set with rose-cut diamonds, and
decorated with the Imperial crown and the Imperial monograms "MF"
(Maria Fyodorovna) and "AIII" (Alexander III), which
are set in rose-cut diamonds.
Each monograms appears six times, totaling 12. A portrait diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds surmounts the Egg and another one is set under the Egg. Maria Fyodorovna's monogram appears on the top half of the Egg, Alexander III's on the bottom halve. The Egg opens to reveal a velvet lining for the surprise, which is now lost.
Background information
This Egg was long thought to be the 1892 gift for
the Imperial Couple's 25th wedding anniversary, but later research
proved that the 12 Monogram Egg was presented to Maria Fyodorovna
at Easter in 1895, in memory of Tsar Alexander III, who had died
the previous November. 
In November 2008 new research proved that this Egg has to be one and the same egg as the missing Alexander III Portraits Egg, and was presented to Maria Fyodorovna as remembrance to Alexander III and the fact that the Imperial couple's married 30 years earlier, in 1866.
In March 2009, thanks to Will Lowes, co-author of Fabergé Eggs - A Retrospective Encyclopedia, who made me aware of the existence of a letter from the Dowager Empress to her son about the 1896 Egg, I found further evidence the 12 Monogram Egg is the missing Alexander III portraits Egg:
The Dowager Empress wrote to her son Nicholas II on March 22, 1896 from La Turbie, where she was keeping her ailing son Georgi company: "I can't find words to express to you, my dear Nicky, how touched and moved I was on receiving your ideal egg with the charming portraits of your dear, adored Papa. It is all such a beautiful idea, with our monograms above it all. (1)
The surprise this egg contained must have been the six portraits of Alexander III, mentioned on the bill for the 1896 Egg.
Could it be that the frame with 6 portraits of Alexander III that Grand Duchess Xenia (daughter of Maria Fyodorovna) lent to an exhibition in London in 1935, be the same as the surprise from this Egg? For now, only history knows.
Read all about this research on the Fabergé Research Site, Recent Discoveries, THE FABERGÉ IMPERIAL EASTER EGGS: New Discoveries Revise Timeline.
The 1896 12 Monogram Egg / Alexander III Portraits Egg was the first in what would become no less than four Imperial Eggs directly commemorating Alexander III, either through miniature paintings or through sculptures. The other three Eggs are the 1902 Empire Nephrite Egg (missing), the 1909 Alexander III Commemorative Egg (missing) and the 1910 Alexander III Equestrian Egg.
In the 1920's probably sold by Russian officials to a Paris-based jeweler. Owned by a Mrs. Berchielli, Italy. 1949 Bought by Marjorie Merriweather Post, General Foods heiress. 1973 Collection of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post, willed to Hillwood Museum, Washington. D.C.
NB: Not all Fabergé scholars agree with my theory that this egg is the 1896 Egg. To them the Blue Serpent Clock Egg remains the 1887 Egg and the 12 Monogram Egg the 1895 Egg, probably until the original invoice for the year 1887 is found...
(1) von Habsburg, Géza, Fabergé: Treasures of Imperial Russia, 2004, 66.
