Fabergé egg creator Peter Carl Fabergé is being honored today with a Google doodle. The man was born on this day in 1846.
He was a jeweler from Russia, whose company was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III, to create a jewel-encrusted Easter egg for the Empress Maria, his wife. From then on, he made more eggs over the years for the Tsar and the next Tsar, Nicholas II. That is, according to a well-cited Wikipedia entry.
Sources for that Wikipedia entry include:
- Twice Seven: The Autobiography of H C Bainbridge,
- Fabergé: Goldsmith and Jeweller to the Imperial Court – His Life and Work
- The History of the House of Fabergé according to the recollections of the senior master craftsman of the firm Franz P. Birbaum
- The Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs
- Peter Carl Fabergé – Goldsmith and Jeweller to the Russian Imperial Court – His Life and Work
- The Art of Carl Fabergé
- Geza von Habsburg’s Fabergé
- Masterpieces from the House of Fabergé
- Faberge’s Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire
- Faberge and the Russian Master Goldsmiths
- Carl Fabergé: Goldsmith to the Imperial Court of Russia
Interestingly enough, Google has no “knowledge panel” for Fabergé, despite this Wikipedia entry,
which has information aplenty. Google does still deem the Wikipedia entry the most relevant organic result for “Peter Carl Fabergé”.
Here’s what Google deems to be the most relevant video for a YouTube search for “Fabergé egg”:
In case the doodle has gotten you in the mood for some egg browsing, a Google image search for “Fabergé egg” makes for a very colorful experience:
It’s unlikely that today’s doodle will be as popular as some of Google’s other, more interactive doodles, such as last week’s Bob Moog doodle. Still, given Google’s penchant for easter eggs (as in fun, hidden items), and the nature of this particular doodle, I would not be surprised if some hidden gems were uncovered throughout the course of the day.