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Any ideas

(11 Posts)
PRINTMISS Tue 02-Jun-15 08:10:54

I have been having another one of my 'turn-outs' and came across this little egg shaped item. I have tried photographing it to show you, but it does not photograph well. As I said this is egg shaped - and about the size of a chicken egg. It is painted a very nice aquamarine although rather dirty, and has what appears to be a tiny chick printed on it with some decoration, almost like one of those Russian eggs. I thought it was made of papier mache, but it is a metal substance and inside there are two tiny celluloid dolls wrapped in tissue. I just wonder what it was made for. It was in with a lot of items we found when clearing out the in-laws belongings a long while ago, and I imagine it belonged to my mother-in-law who hoarded everything. Does anyone have any ideas?

hildajenniJ Tue 02-Jun-15 08:51:50

I wondered if it might be a pendant, but if it's the size of a hen's egg then that's doubtful. Could it be a little egg shaped trinket box perhaps?

Galen Tue 02-Jun-15 09:51:18

Russians make thousands of those things and sell them as souvenirs , just ornamental.
I've two which are copies of faberge ones

PRINTMISS Tue 02-Jun-15 10:31:57

Thanks to you both and Galen I did think it might be Russian, and just ornamental, but could not understand the two little dolls which were obviously made for the egg, don't know if the Russians did this. I do have a lovely Russian doll which was given to me by a little Russian girl visiting Amberley Museum, after I had printed her name for her, she was a survivor of the explosion - can't remember the name some years ago.

Galen Tue 02-Jun-15 10:56:39

Faberge put lots of things in his eggs. I think one had a tiny locomotive, one a gorgeous brooch etc

Galen Tue 02-Jun-15 10:57:18

The locomotive was gold. Try googling Abergele royal eggs

Galen Tue 02-Jun-15 10:57:55

FABERGE, bloomin iPad!

PRINTMISS Tue 02-Jun-15 15:39:45

Galen Thank you for all the info. I do not think my egg is Faberge, it is much too rough and ready for that, it is just a little thing which has caught my fancy now for some reason., I have had it for some time, the turning out has turned it up! I will however do as you suggest, you never know, perhaps Faberge did do rubbish and put celluloid nude dolls in some eggs, very rude of him.

Galen Tue 02-Jun-15 16:19:40

Another had a golden hen. Another a miniature cathedral. Not in the celluloid doll bracket I agree.

numberplease Tue 02-Jun-15 17:42:33

I`d hang onto it nevertheless Printmiss, just in case it turns out to be worth something. It sounds like the sort of thing I`d tend to keep anyway.

janerowena Tue 02-Jun-15 19:08:48

I have a little silver one, it's under an inch long with a hinged top, and I often wondered what it was meant to be for. To hold a ring perhaps? It has a weeny latch to shut it, and is painted red inside but it would have to be a very plain ring.