Mastery of Design: Queen Alexandra's Fabergé Horse, 1907

"Field Marshal" by Carl Fabergé 
Commissioned by King Edward VII for Queen Alexandra, 1907-8
The Royal Collection
Crown Copyright
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Alexandra, while her husband, King Edward VII, amused himself with a string of other women, passed the time going deaf and collecting expensive objects.  She especially enjoyed collecting miniature animals by Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) and others from his famous workshop.

Here, we see one of Queen Alexandra’s menagerie of precious animals. This horse, called “Field Marshal,” was made in 1907 of Aventurine quartz with eyes of cabochon sapphires.  The figure was  commissioned by Edward VII and given to Queen Alexandra for her birthday, December 1, 1908

This is one of at least three shire horses modeled as part of the famed “Sandringham Commission.”  This one is a portrait model of the champion “Field Marshal.”