The Blue Serpent Clock Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1887, for the then Czar of Russia, Alexander III, who presented the egg to his wife, the Czarina Maria Feodorovna. It now belongs to the Princess Grace of Monaco’s collection, currently owned by Prince Albert II.

The Serpent Clock Egg costed 2,160 rubles to the Czar. The serpent winds around the pedestal of the egg and serves as the clock’s hand. The head and tongue point to the hour. The time can be read on the upper eggshell, which has a rotating clock face. The egg is similar to the “Duchess of Marlborough Egg” (ca. 1902) which is interesting because Faberge had a rule of not repeating a design.

This beautiful Faberge creation, which has not left Monaco in over 30 years, was unveiled yesterday at the Consulate General of Monaco in New York City. The Egg will be traveling to Cleveland, Ohio, where it will be on display with six other Faberge wonders in the Artistic Luxury exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art through January 2009.