Red Cross with Imperial Portraits (Fabergé egg)

The Red Cross with Imperial Portraits egg is a jeweled Fabergé egg created in 1915 during World War I for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who presented it to his wife, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. It is one of the two Red Cross eggs created by the House of Fabergé, the other being the Red Cross with Triptych egg.

The egg is made of white enamel over a gold guilloché field and features five miniature portraits of female members of the Imperial family who served as nurses in the Red Cross. These portraits are framed by red enamel crosses adorned with diamonds. The portraits depict Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, and Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna.

The egg's surprise has been lost, but historical records suggest it was a folding screen featuring scenes of the Red Cross at work. The egg serves as a historical artifact commemorating the Romanov family's involvement in the war effort and their support of the Russian Red Cross. It currently resides in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, part of the Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection. The egg's creation highlights Fabergé's capacity to adapt traditional artistry to reflect contemporary events and the specific requests of its imperial patrons.