Faberge Byzantine Double-Headed Eagle Pin Pendant Russian Romanov Royalty 2.2H

An Imperial Bird in Gold: The Faberge Eagle Pendant

Two heads, wings spread, all in bright gold plate. The Faberge eagle pendant wears a bird that ruled over Russia for centuries. It copies the clasp on a cigarette case by Carl Faberge.

Wear it as a pin or hang it from its 18 in chain. This double-headed eagle pendant is a royal object shrunk to fit a collar.

Product Details

• Material: 24K gold plated pewter
• Pin size: 1.75 in W x 2.2 in H
• Chain: 24K gold plated, 18 in
• Includes: Provenance card
• Origin: Made in USA

Where the Double Head Came From

The two-headed eagle is a Byzantine emblem. It looked both east and west. Ivan III put it on his seal in 1497, after marrying the Byzantine princess Sophia Palaiologina.

Moscow saw itself as heir to Constantinople. The eagle told the world so. A Byzantine eagle pin carries that old claim.

Romanov Eagle Jewelry and the Imperial Seal

The Romanovs came to power in 1613 and kept the eagle. Tsar Michael added a third crown above the heads in 1625. The three crowns stood for Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia.

In its claws the bird holds a scepter and an orb. Both mean autocracy. Any piece of Romanov eagle jewelry borrows this old language of power.

A Clasp Made by Faberge

The original clasp sat on a Faberge cigarette case. Cigarette cases were common gifts at the Russian court. The design belonged to a collection once shown at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The Faberge eagle pendant shrinks it to jewelry size. The double-headed eagle pendant keeps the spread wings and the two profiles.

Wearing and Display

Pin it to a jacket or slip it onto the chain. Pewter dents easily, so store the Faberge eagle pendant flat in its box. Keep the provenance card with it. A Byzantine eagle pin looks best on a dark lapel. More small royal emblems wait in our Museum Jewelry Pins and Brooches.

Faberge and the Romanov Court

Faberge won attention from Alexander III and his wife Marie Feodorovna at a Moscow exhibition in 1882. The firm became official supplier to the court in 1885. That year the Tsar ordered the first Imperial Easter Egg. Romanov eagle jewelry and this Faberge eagle pendant both trace back to that court.

For More Reading from the Web

• Read how the emblem behind a Byzantine eagle pin moved from Constantinople to the Russian state seal. Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire - Wikipedia
• Follow Faberge from a family workshop to the court. A double-headed eagle pendant like this one nods to that world. Faberge: The Artist Jeweller - Royal Collection Trust