This Wednesday I had the opportunity to take a day trip to Montreal and see my Mum on her birthday. It was also perfect timing because my cousin from Dubai was also in town visiting.

We decided to go see the "Fabulous Faberge" exhibit currently held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Faberge was a jeweler for the Russian Royal family between 1885 and 1917. His most famous pieces consist of the Easter eggs presented by Tzar Alexander III to his wife Empress Maria Fedorovna and then later his son, Tzar Nicholas II, upheld the tradition with his wife Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.

Painting at the entrance of the exhibit

The collection had four of these eggs on display and then hundreds of other pieces the jeweler made for the family. There was everything from tea pots to mantel pieces and picture frames. I was blown away by the beauty and detailed craftsmanship. It was unbelievable to see the wealth found in these pieces and then comparing it to the struggles the country was going through at the time.




I have a great love for 20th century Russian history. And while part of me was fascinated with the pieces before me, I couldn't help but think about the poverty and despair the rest of the country was suffering through at the same time.

Nonetheless, the pure beauty and skill seen in the exhibit cannot be ignored and if you look at the collection through a purely artistic eye, none can deny the elegance of every single piece.


The collection will be at the museum until October 5th so if you're in the Montreal area and feel like going to see some amazing jewels, then I definitely recommend you make a stop.

* I apologize for the quality of the pictures, they were taken on an Iphone.