Solace in Beauty

By chance I happened upon a boutique exhibit, really two display cases highlighting Faberge. When I was a child and heard someone mention Faberge eggs, I thought they were real eggs like those from our chickens that someone had decorated. There are large and small eggs and then there are Faberge eggs. There were only a few items again from a wealthy collector who, according to the  notes, once owned one of the largest Faberge collections in the world. It was disappointing that so few items were on view. What was there were beautiful, a joy to behold .The piece I found most impressive was not an egg but a basket of miniature pearls and diamonds set in a tiny gold and platinum basket rising like a tree out of what appeared to be a gold-flecked moss. I learned that it is considered one of the most important pieces. I can understand why.