Rolls-Royce debuts Spirit of Ecstacy Fabergé egg

Eggs from the jeweller Fabergé are famous around the world over for their exquisite design and the precious materials used. Each egg-shaped creation, typically commissioned for Easter, is decorated sumptuously outside, and opens up to reveal a surprise within. Only 50 pre-1917 Imperial eggs were ever completed.

The Spirit of Ecstasy Fabergé egg.

One patron can now take ownership of a new Fabergé egg that is a collaboration between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Fabergé. The Spirit of Ecstasy Fabergé egg contains the enigmatic mascot that has adorned Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911, in a contemporary design conceived by Rolls-Royce Designers Stefan Monro and Alex Innes and rendered by Fabergé Lead Designer Liisa Talgren, then brought to life by Fabergé workmaster Paul Jones.

The egg is only the second ever to be commissioned in the Imperial Class since 1917 – a category reserved only for Fabergé’s most illustrious creations. It celebrates the history, heritage and legend for which both Rolls-Royce and Fabergé have been revered for more than a century.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars commented, “The Spirit of Ecstasy Fabergé egg was born from an intrinsic desire to further the realms of bespoke personalisation. Responding to the continuing demands of patrons in search of unique and cherished possessions, a designer at the House of Rolls-Royce sketched an egg, igniting a fascination that will undoubtedly become one of the most collectable items of modern times.”

Design cues from Fabergé’s heritage are interwoven into the intricate shell, which stands at 160mm and weighs 400g. The artwork rests on an engine-turned, hand-engraved, purple enamel guilloché* base of 18 K white gold. Arms of rose gold define the shape of the egg. A discreet lever at the base of the stand move the boughs open to present a figurine of the Spirit of Ecstasy, hand-sculpted in frosted rock crystal. The rose gold vanes, embellished with nearly 10 carats of round white diamonds, resolve into swathes of natural amethyst weighing over 390 carats, specially selected for their colour saturation and quality. The purple hue of the enamel and amethyst provide a playful nod to the use of colour in Fabergé’s heritage.

The highly complex operating mechanism was conceived through computer-aided design and animation, and 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 mechanism of any Fabergé egg to date.

Sean Gilbertson, CEO, Fabergé said, “A unique moment in both our companies’ history, the creation of the Spirit of Ecstasy egg represents the meeting of two masters of unrivalled quality and design, showcasing two globally recognised symbols – the Fabergé egg and the Spirit of Ecstasy.”

Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, Business Development and Global Sales Director, Fabergé added, “Two years in the making, we are very excited to unveil this special piece to our clients and partners across the globe together with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and are proud to continue making history by creating bespoke and unique pieces such as this. The Spirit of Ecstasy egg marks a demonstration of the reputation that Fabergé proudly carries today.”

Fifty Imperial Easter eggs were created for the Russian Imperial family between 1885 and 1916. Ten eggs were produced from 1885 to 1893 during the reign of Emperor Alexander III; a further 40 were created during the rule of his son Nicholas II, two per year – one for his mother the dowager, the second for his wife. As it so happens, Tsar Nicholas II was also a patron of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The egg is now on public display in Fabergé’s London, UK window for Christmas.

Details:

Watch a video of the egg mechanism in action

*This refers to decoration that looks like braided or interlaced ribbons.

N&N Agriculture visits UK farm to observe cage-free egg production in action

Source: HSI. Ma (left) and Gordon Alexander, Manager at Heal Eggs (right).

Humane Society International (HSI), a global animal protection organisation, has organised a trip to Europe to show Asian farmers more about cage-free egg production.

Ma Chin Chew, CEO of N&N Agriculture, joined other farmers from Asia at Heal Eggs, an egg farm in Shrewsbury, the UK, where he learned about new types of cage-free housing systems, techniques and procedures for managing hens in cage-free environments, and the benefits of such systems for hen welfare.

Heal Farms has been awarded the RSPCA Assured certification, which prohibits the use of cages and provides guidelines for hen health, diet, environment and care. RSPCA operates this ethical food label dedicated to farm animal welfare.

As part of HSI’s farm animal protection campaign, the organisation helps the food industry adopt higher standards for the care of animals in farms, including by connecting companies like N&N Agriculture with the technical training and resources they need to transition to cage-free egg production.

Around the world, including in Asia, the majority of egg-laying hens spend nearly their entire lives confined in battery cages too small for the birds to spread their wings, let alone express natural behaviours like perching, dust bathing, and laying eggs in nests. This practice is changing in response to growing consumer concerns about the treatment of animals raised for food, make it increasingly clear the future of egg production is cage-free.

According to HSI dozens of countries have national or local restrictions on the use of battery cages, and a growing number of multinational companies have pledged to eliminate eggs from caged hens from their supply chains globally, including in Asia, by 2025. Last month, hospitality company The Lo and Behold Group became the first Asian company to adopt a cage-free egg policy.

Dawn Neo, Corporate Outreach manager for HSI Farm Animals in Asia, said: “The cage-free movement has already begun to take root in Asia. We look forward to helping food companies and egg producers meet consumer expectations for eggs produced with higher standards for animal welfare.”

Ma said: “Asian consumers are increasingly concerned about the treatment of animals used for meat and eggs. We are thankful to Heal Eggs for sharing their expertise on cage-free housing with us.”
RSPCA Senior Scientific Officer Mia Fernyhough said: "We are delighted to support HSI with this initiative, and that this meeting was a success. It's fantastic that Mr Ma Chin Chew made
this journey to see firsthand the RSPCA's higher welfare standards in practice at Heal Farms. We hope that his visit to an RSPCA Assured farm proved informative and insightful for his future ventures with his own business.”

RSPCA Head of international, Paul Littlefair said: “In recent years we have seen a surge in interest particularly from East Asia in the RSPCA Assured scheme, and members have welcomed on their farms officials, scientists and producers from Korea, Japan, Taiwan and (mainland) China, so we are especially pleased that Heal Farms are now able to show best practice to HSI's partners in Singapore.”

Tony Heal, owner of Heal Farms said: “At Heal Farms, we have invested in the latest technology and equipment to enhance the management and welfare of our birds. We are delighted to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with other producers wishing to make the switch to higher welfare free-range egg production.”