Easter Egg Decorated with the Coat-of-Arms of the Russian Empire

Heraldic devices would invest a work of art with official status. The most important was the Russian state coat-of-arms that was introduced into the decoration of porcelain Easter eggs from the middle of the 19th century. The depictions of the double-headed eagle reflect the history of that chief symbol of Russia. Some designs match the types in use before the heraldic reform of 1856–57, while other accord with the post-reform models. From the late 19th century, the factory produced white eggs “with coats-of-arms” that were made by printing on the porcelain and then finished with paints.