Pets of the Belle Époque: Queen Alexandra’s Fabergé Griffon, 1907

Griffon
Carl Fabergé
Agate, Diamonds, Gold
1907
The Royal Collection

King Edward VII, though not the most devoted of husbands, was a good giver of gifts and enjoyed presenting his wife, Queen Alexandra, little sculptures that he commissioned from Fabergé. Alexandra built an impressive collection of bejeweled animals, particularly dogs.


Edward VII commissioned this Fabergé Griffon in 1907 to add to his wife’s collection. The Griffon was—and is—a relatively rare breed and was not a common subject for Fabergé. Carl Fabergé executed this agate figure with rose-cut diamond eyes himself, possibly using one of the dogs at Sandringham as a model.