1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Histories, a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to the show, 2 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: fellow Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much for 3 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: tuning in. Let's hear it for one of the fanciest 4 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: boys in podcasting, our super producer, mister Max Williams. 5 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: I feel like I should go put a checket on him, 6 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: and also I Max, Yeah you do MAXX yeah, bleeping 7 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 2: all that. I don't know, Ben. Kind of my feelings 8 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: are a little hurd. I'm not gonna lie because I 9 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 2: am the one podcasting holding a tiny Peterbread hypoelogenic dog 10 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 2: named Apollo, So I'm feeling pretty fancy today too. 11 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: Apollo absolute legend. One of our favorite audience members as 12 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: well as you, specifically you, if you are listening to this, 13 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: that's none other than mister Noel Brown. I am several people, 14 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: but they called me Ben. 15 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 2: Here multitudes, there's no question about that. 16 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: Oh thanks man. 17 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 2: And that you're you're you know you have multiple personality Disorderah, 18 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: I'm diagnosed. I'm diagnosed. No it's not true. Well it's 19 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 2: not true at all. You have you leave many lives 20 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 2: and wear many hats. 21 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: Sir, sir, immediate response without being defensive is why call 22 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: it a disorder exactly? 23 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: Why why be inherently negative about it from the start? 24 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 2: You know it's it's it's just a how about list 25 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: a syndrome? Okay, all right, negative too. I'm not gonna 26 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 2: let so how about this? 27 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,559 Speaker 1: How about instead we pull up one of the old 28 00:01:54,600 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: personas for voiceover, which would go something like previously on 29 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History. 30 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: Is that Max powers astronaut with a secret. 31 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, you remember, Thank you for so much man. 32 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: All right, so this episode is a spiritual successor to 33 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: a series you and I did that we quite enjoy. 34 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: With our pals Jack and Miles on Ridiculous Historical Flexes, 35 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: we were hanging out with our friends out west and 36 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: we said, Hey, one ridiculous thing about history is people 37 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: find the weirdest ways to try to be important or 38 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: try to show off. 39 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 2: It's true. I think it's a product of like, once 40 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: you reach a certain level of wealth and you kind 41 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: of have all your basic needs met, shelter, food, companionship, 42 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: all of the mass stuff, you kind of run out 43 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: of stuff to throw your money into, and then you 44 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 2: start to get into the really niche territory of what's 45 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: the smallest thing that I could spend a lot of 46 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: money on to show off the fact that I am 47 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,399 Speaker 2: unconcerned with money. 48 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: Right, I don't want to buy a multi million dollar 49 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: yacht like all those common rich folk. 50 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: Now I got all my money and eggs. 51 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: I got all my money and eggs. Excellent setup. Later, 52 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: after we were hanging with the boys from Daily Zeitgeist 53 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: please tune into their show, we realized that no, you, 54 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: Max and I had not addressed one of the strangest, 55 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: most niche flexes in all of Western history. And you 56 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: nailed it perfectly. It's an idea that seems ludicrous on 57 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: the surface, but it came to define an era of 58 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: Russian monarchy. It launched loads of mysteries. It led to 59 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: the creation of one of the world's most bizarre flexes ever, 60 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: the Faberge. 61 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: Egg, for sure. And I do just want to say, 62 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 2: per my last comment about what is the smallest thing 63 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: that I could dump a bunch of money into? There 64 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 2: is also, of course, the aspect of craftsmanship and the 65 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: appreciation of fine things of fine art. So I do 66 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: not entirely believe that interest in fine things or artifacts 67 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 2: is inherently some sort of look at mesm right. But 68 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 2: that being said, the idea of the Faberge egg is 69 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 2: more or less or the concept of it. The term 70 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,799 Speaker 2: has become a stand in for just like really really 71 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 2: really expensive small stuff. Yeah, yeah, what am I made 72 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 2: a faggs? 73 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 1: Remember that episode of The Simpsons with bleeding Gums Murphy eggs. 74 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: That's a that's a touching episode. Well, I guess I'm 75 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: thinking of the original bleeding Gums Murphy episode, and that 76 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: must be the same one. I don't remember the Faberge 77 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 2: eggs detail though. 78 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: Oh here, let's play a clip. Please, Let's see if 79 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 1: we can get away with it. 80 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 3: And I spent all my money on my fifteen hundred 81 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 3: dollars a day habit. I'd like another Faberge egg please. 82 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 3: I'll tell you when I've had enough. 83 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean cook. Let's say, first of all, though, Ben, 84 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: that's great, and obviously the joke there would be that, 85 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 2: you know, even a jazz musician, the mind immediately goes to, 86 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 2: like having a fifteen dollars a day drugs habit, But 87 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: fifteen hundred bucks for a Faberge egg. I mean, that's 88 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 2: some serious inflation. That episode came out in like the 89 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 2: early nineties, so I think the prices have gone up 90 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 2: quite a bit since then. My friend I found a 91 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 2: video that I checked out in advance of this about 92 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 2: the I think ten individually most expensive and valuable Faberge eggs. Yeah, 93 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 2: which we're gonna get into later. But what the hell 94 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 2: is a Faberge egg? 95 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: Right? 96 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? 97 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: Okay, spoiler for everybody hungry as we always are. You 98 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: cannot eat these eggs. 99 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 2: You can't. 100 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, possibly you could wear them like jewelry, but it 101 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: would be inconvenient. They don't really do anything, So how 102 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: did they become a thing in the first place? 103 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 2: Or to a display piece? Right right? 104 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: Objective art, objective fancy. So to understand this, we have 105 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: to start with the man himself, Peter Carl Faberget Carl, 106 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: to his buckeroos and to his buddies. 107 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 2: Ah yes, and we of course have to journey to 108 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 2: Karl's native land of Russia, Saint Petersburg, specifically, born there 109 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: in May of eighteen forty six, he was part of 110 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 2: a very elite class of artisans, coming from a storied 111 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: lineage of these types of very bespoke craftspeople. So his 112 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: path was kind of already laid out for him, and 113 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 2: that he was the son of a fine jeweler. Yeah. 114 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, in the context of this era, your path, as 115 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: you said, Nole's kind of set out for you. If 116 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: you're the son of a blacksmith, you're probably going to 117 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: grow up to be a blacksmith. If you're the son 118 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: of a cheesemaker, you're gonna grow up to make cheese. 119 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 2: You say that to me, you son of a cheesemaker. 120 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: It's pretty good. Although I do love cheese. Cheese monger. Also, 121 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: the manger thing has always been felt inherently insulting to me. 122 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: But why do people only mong cheese and war? 123 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 2: And fish? Your fishmonger as well. I think the manger 124 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 2: of it all has to do with like the fact 125 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 2: that you ply your trade like outdoors and just like. 126 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: Selling on the street. 127 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 2: Mongering your your wares. But a warmonger would also be, 128 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: like what would you call it, a profiteer, like a 129 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 2: war profiteer, like. 130 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: A murk abersonary. Anyway, Luckily Faberge is not a one 131 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: of those war monsters. 132 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 2: He's a blingmonger. 133 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: He's a bling monger just so. His dad is a 134 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,239 Speaker 1: successful jeweler in Saint Petersburg, and so from a young 135 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: age his son is training in that same craft, and 136 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: his journeys take him to Fan to Dresden, to Paris 137 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: to London. At each and every stop he is studying 138 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: with the great masters of goldsmith ory a word I'm 139 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: kind of styling on and and jewelry in general. It's 140 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: the eighteen seventies. Let's fast forward there. Carl inherits his 141 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: dad's operation and at this time they are successful jewelers 142 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: in Saint Petersburg, but they are not not quite Faberge 143 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: as we understand it today. It's still a family business. 144 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 2: But Carl, having inherited his father's business, has got eyes 145 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 2: on expansion. 146 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, exactly. So Carl brings on his brother. I know, 147 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: we'll love this name, Agathon. Agathon is that like, do 148 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: you know any Agathon? 149 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 2: I know, I know an Agamemnon. 150 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:55,839 Speaker 1: No, you don't, I'm just. 151 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: From like that. The history Agathon is incredible though. It's 152 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: sounds like someone who would inherently be blessed with some 153 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 2: sort of godlike you know, thunder power. So yeah, in 154 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 2: eighteen eighty two this happens. He also takes on his 155 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 2: own sons and they bring in another outsider, a Swiss 156 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 2: artisan by the name of facois barbe perfect. 157 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, and their initial thing from the jump is to 158 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: make money. The House of Faberge is a studio, right, 159 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: They require custom and they want to pitch to sort 160 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: of the one percenters of the world. People of money 161 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: and means. Begin to take notice, and the folks in 162 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: the know, like we were talking about one percenters increasingly 163 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: looking for a way to financially flex. What they all 164 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: start saying to each other is this Carl Faberget guy. 165 00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: He's a brilliant designer. He specializes, yes, in precious things 166 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: like gems and jade and gold and silver. And we 167 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: know that he is informed. Right, we're Russian nobles, you Max, 168 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: me and us listening along at home, and so when 169 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: we're talking about how to flex on people, we're saying, 170 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:22,359 Speaker 1: you know, this guy has a lot of design aesthetics 171 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: that came from very fancy French places, that came from 172 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: very fancy Italian places, and they're not focusing on Novu 173 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: reach stuff. The question for a lot of jewelry at 174 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: the day was how big is the stone, right, the 175 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: biggest diamond, the biggest emerald, the biggest ruby. Faberge is 176 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: not concerned with that like you were saying, Faberge is 177 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: more invested in craftsmanship, in innovation, in creativity. And this 178 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: is where he has a quote that I think really 179 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: stood out to both of us. He was, I'm gonna 180 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: say it, well, I think he's a little pretentious. 181 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 2: You mean, you know, but that sometimes when you're the 182 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: house of anything, pretentiousness is your stock in trade. You 183 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 2: have to kind of set the tone, you know, of 184 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 2: the era and sort of believe your own hype to 185 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 2: a certain degree, which he absolutely was doing. 186 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah. And here's a great example. This is 187 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: a direct quote from Carl who later in life said, 188 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: expensive things interest me little if the value is millions, 189 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: so many diamonds of pearls. Like to him, it wasn't 190 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 1: the street value of the materials. Who was working with 191 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: It was, as you said, the esthetic, the concept, the ideology. 192 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 2: And that is really forward thinking because so many art 193 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: objects and or fashion iconic kind of fashion pieces. They're 194 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 2: not expensive because they're made of you know, magical stones. 195 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 2: They're expensive because of the brand. They're expensive because of 196 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 2: the design, and they're expensive because of this like sort 197 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 2: of built in scarcity. 198 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, one hundred percent check out. Also with no disrespect 199 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:16,599 Speaker 1: the legendary success of brands like Supreme. 200 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 2: Which I'm a fan of. Again, I fully a bunch 201 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 2: of their stuff. I dig Supreme hats, and I got 202 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 2: a few of their shirts and a few like they 203 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 2: did a run of things with like a collaboration with 204 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 2: one of my favorite musical artists, Aphex Twin, and I 205 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,839 Speaker 2: got a few of those. But there is something inherently 206 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 2: interesting and sort of grabby about this idea of once 207 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 2: we do this drop, there's not going to be any 208 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 2: more like this, right right exactly, and that's great foreshadowing. 209 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 2: The reputation, or the street rep of Faberge continues to grow. 210 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 2: In eighteen eighty one, over in Russia, his peers in 211 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 2: the Jewelry Game appoint him as a quote master of 212 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: the Second Guild. This is clutch af because it means 213 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 2: that he is no longer considered a proletariat hoy paloy craftsman. Instead, 214 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 2: he is officially recognized as a big deal merchant and retailer. 215 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 2: Everybody says, Okay, this guy knows his stuff. So if 216 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 2: Karl makes something and Carl. 217 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: Says it's good to go boom, it does not need 218 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: to be inspected. Good to go. It was Cortor Gower 219 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: was Yoda voice, like he's becoming the Yoda of jewelry. 220 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 2: I don't know if that lands any lands. How are 221 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 2: you feeling about the Spaceball's sequel. I'm excited, I'm bullish. 222 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 2: I haven't I haven't checked it out. You know, it's 223 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,199 Speaker 2: supposed to be great. Speaking of lega sequels, the New 224 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 2: Naked Gun movie is supposed to be hilarious. 225 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: That's what I heard. 226 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 2: Very excited to see it. Good director too, A Kiva Schaeffer, 227 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 2: Lomon Island dude, yep, for sure, Yeah, yeah. 228 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. So when Carl Screw goes to the Pan 229 00:13:55,000 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: Russian Exhibition in eighteen eighty two, you know of like 230 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 1: the Osako World Expo or the World Fair kind of thing, 231 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: his crew wins gold medal for their exhibit, for their 232 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: flex and this is when Russian nobility gets super tuned in. 233 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: This guy, Carl Faberge, is a superstar. Magazines from the 234 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: time give us a sense of just how popular he becomes. 235 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: One of their articles speaks to his revolutionary design philosophy 236 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: and his status with the royal family. This is a 237 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: quote from a magazine called Neva. Well. 238 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 2: This is also a time when I'm sorry none to 239 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 2: jump on the quote, which we'll get to in two seconds. 240 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 2: But this was a time where Russia. We think of 241 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 2: Russia as so like isolationists and kind of its own 242 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 2: thing and kind of cut off from the rest of 243 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 2: the world in a lot of ways. But wouldn't you say, ben, 244 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 2: at this time, it's much more of a cultural melting 245 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 2: pot and has a much bigger influence on culture outside 246 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: of its boundaries. 247 00:14:57,800 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: I would say, so, yeah, cool, just check. 248 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 2: In and just seemed like that was something worth mentioning. This, 249 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 2: like the Byzantine architecture and things of this era that 250 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 2: definitely began to have impact outside of Russia. And this 251 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: is the case with this type of craftsmanship as well, 252 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 2: and making a name for himself the Faberget House outside 253 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 2: of just Russian nobility. So mister Faberge opens a new 254 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 2: era in the art of jewelry. And this is not 255 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 2: just in Russia, this is just at large. Her majesty 256 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 2: honored Faberge by buying a pair of cuff links with 257 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 2: images of cicadas, which, according to ancient Greek belief, bring luck. 258 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, this comes to us from an excellent source. Faberget's Eggs, 259 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: One Man's Masterpiece and the End of an Empire by 260 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: Tony faber And you know, folks, at this point, as 261 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: history is always proven, royal attention can be extremely good 262 00:15:52,160 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: or extremely bad, and there's little in between. Thankfully, nol 263 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: not to make this about us, but our encounters with 264 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: various royalty have been extremely good. 265 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, we were ones walked in on by some royalty 266 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: and we apparently we didn't stand up, and we thought 267 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 2: we maybe should have after the fact, but apparently that 268 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 2: wasn't worth any strikes against us. So we got we 269 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 2: got some contacts, We have some hit us up offline 270 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: and we'll talk. 271 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: Oh jeez, how do we make it out of that one? Anyway, 272 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: At this point, our buddy Carl is riding high. He's 273 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: the catbird seat. He's doing very well, but he's far 274 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: from the only game in town. If you look at 275 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: Russian court records from eighteen eighty three, you'll see that 276 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: the royal family has at least five different jewelry companies 277 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: working for the Russian Royal court. Our buddy Faberge is 278 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: making only the six four hundred roubles with them in 279 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty three. To be clear, for the vast majority 280 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: of people living in Tsarist Russia at the time, six 281 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: four hundred rubles is a fortune. But for him, he 282 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: is making less than all of the other jewelers employed 283 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: by the royal family. 284 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,719 Speaker 2: He is very because he's spending so much on materials 285 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:31,399 Speaker 2: and he just takes it so much. He takes it 286 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 2: so seriously and cares about the quality. 287 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: It's kind of because he's the new guy in tech. 288 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: House of Faberge is like a pilot program for these folks. 289 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: He's by far the lowest of the high which is 290 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 1: a good thing, you know. And arguably Karl probably had 291 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: these conversations with his colleagues. Arguably being directly connected with 292 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: the royal family of Russia is more valuable than the money, 293 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: right it goes beyond the money. Now you have the 294 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 1: ear of the king. And this is what happens. Okay. 295 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: So it's after this exposition everybody's impressed. Royal family tunes in. 296 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: They decide not to execute Karl, which they could always 297 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: do because they're monarchs. This guy, Alexander the Third, you 298 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: may have heard of him. It's eighteen eighty five, and 299 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 1: he goes up to our buddy Carl and he has 300 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: a pitch that sounds lucrative, right if you're Carl Faberge, 301 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: and to us it sounds patently ridiculous. He says, look 302 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: a hell, wife, I'm not going to do the voice anymore. 303 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 2: Okay, you've done enough. We've done enough on that one. 304 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 1: And he wants to make a special present for his wife, 305 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: what's her name. 306 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 2: I'm gonna we work this out off the air a 307 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 2: little bit. So let's do the best combination of the 308 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 2: two of us together, we make one complete human being. 309 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 2: Maria Fyodorovna. 310 00:18:58,880 --> 00:18:59,919 Speaker 1: Oh, nailed it. 311 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 2: And his head had a little bit of stink on it. 312 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: You put some steak on it. I like that fuel little. 313 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,439 Speaker 1: So we got to keep in mind that the Royal 314 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: family at this point they run the show, right, one 315 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: of the most important empires in the world. They are 316 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: already a wash with your typical gems and bobbles. They 317 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: got the rings, they got the necklaces, the abulets, the bracelets, 318 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: et cetera. So Alex doesn't want that. He doesn't want 319 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: a special necklace or ring or bracelet. He wants something he. 320 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:34,120 Speaker 2: Wasn't a babble. 321 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: He wants an egg. 322 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 2: Yep, exactly. He wants a very very bespoke egg, not 323 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 2: just any egg, not the kind you'd make a delightful 324 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 2: omelet out of, not the kind that would birth a tiny, 325 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 2: terrifying bird. Instead, he worked closely with Carl Studio, advising 326 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 2: throughout the process of creating this art object that he 327 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 2: had in mind. Alex and the team decided they would 328 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:06,160 Speaker 2: do the world's fanciest spin on an Easter egg. And 329 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 2: isn't the Easter Easter is huge in Russia? 330 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, this doesn't. 331 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 2: There's a lot of egg imagery in Russian architecture and art. 332 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: Absolutely, It's a long standing Russian Orthodox tradition at this 333 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: point to exchange decorated eggs for Easter. So this was 334 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: essentially an insanely opulent escalation of that traditional practice, and 335 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: they ended up with something called the hen Egg. It's 336 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:41,360 Speaker 1: a little doodad, but it's extremely impressive from a technical perspective, 337 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: and it follows on Faberget's existing design philosophy. You know, 338 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: the materials you use are less important than the idea 339 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: you convey. 340 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 2: But also like, let's use fancy materials, but also let's like, 341 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,360 Speaker 2: let's use fancy materials. 342 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 1: So Maria gets this gift and when she let's go 343 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: to the moment when she receives it, and here's what 344 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: she's looking at. She sees a plain white enamel shell. 345 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: My tennessee came out, but we'll keep it a plain 346 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: white enamel shell. And that's representative of the egg. But 347 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: holy smokes, hang on a tick. You can open the egg, 348 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: and when Maria opens it, she finds something else. 349 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 2: As we know, the Russians are also big fans of 350 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 2: nesting stuff, so this story comes into play here as well. 351 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 2: The matros Cardozo. Yes, she opens that up and within 352 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 2: it is another smaller egg. Yeah, and then she's that out. Yeah, 353 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 2: I believe there's a tiny little pillow inside the egg 354 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 2: made of sueded material. 355 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, stippled gold. And upon this rest an intricately carved 356 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: tiny gold hid And this is impressive. But get this, 357 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: but wait, folks, there more as Billy Amazed was wont 358 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: to say, the hen itself also opens. And when you 359 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: open the hen, there's a miniature replica of the Russian 360 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: crown and it is drowning in drip. It's encrusted with diamonds, 361 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: it's got rubies. The Russian crown holds a small ruby pendant. 362 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: This is beyond impressive. Maria loves it, Alex gets massive 363 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: hobby points. The entire Royal court is going bananas and 364 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,879 Speaker 1: nuts with approval. This was going to be a one off, 365 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: like a fancy I don't know. 366 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 2: But how to trends in those days get created, Ben, 367 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 2: it's when royals are stoked about something. 368 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:43,360 Speaker 1: Probably you're probably right, I. 369 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 2: Too must have one. 370 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: Oh yes, exactly, And as you said, limited supply, right, 371 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: we don't know if Alex was buying this as an 372 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: apology to his wife for something possible. Anyway, the Russian 373 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: royal family they say this is not a one off 374 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,679 Speaker 1: for us like you were saying, Noel, They're going, I 375 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: do must have one. They start routinely commissioning these eggs 376 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 1: from Carl, and each egg is growing more and more 377 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: elaborate with each iteration. Well, and also, Ben, I mean 378 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,639 Speaker 1: I walk back what I said slightly. There's definitely within 379 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: the royal family a keeping up with the Joneses thing. 380 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: But part of the whole story of Faberge and kind 381 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: of what it represents is that there's not an unlimited supply, 382 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 1: and that it's created in the style of or by 383 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: hand by this very specific, you know, group of craftsmen. 384 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: So the royal family does start commissioning those on the regular, 385 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: making it a family tradition. After Alexander passed away in 386 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,879 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety four, his son, Nicholas the Second continues on 387 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 1: with the tradition, commissioning further pieces, further elaborations of these designs, 388 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: giving one each to his mother and to his wife Alexandria. 389 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,199 Speaker 2: And I mean these are we're talking, you know, the 390 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 2: level of bespokenness in these creations. An entire year to 391 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 2: create one, yes. 392 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Faberge. Faberge is given this huge level of autonomy. 393 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 1: He and his crew don't have to check in with 394 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,919 Speaker 1: the royal family when they make these eggs. All they 395 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: have to do is guarantee that each egg must contain 396 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: some kind of surprise and credit. We're due are buddy Carl, 397 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: who is a visionary. He is designing these like he's 398 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: writing or drawing pictures of what he thinks they should 399 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: look like, and he's kind of project managing the work, 400 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: but he is not actually in the trenches making the eggs. 401 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 1: It's too much work for one guy. 402 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 2: That's the case with a lot of big process oriented 403 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 2: artists like the glass artist Shahuli I think is his name, 404 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,959 Speaker 2: who does these incredible stained glass arrays. You can go 405 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 2: to his a museum or at the very least an 406 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 2: exhibit in Seattle. But there's a film about him, and 407 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 2: he is the visionary behind these works and these installations. 408 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 2: But he's got a team of workers and crafts people 409 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 2: that are you know, doing his bidding. It's what allows 410 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 2: him to scale those works because they're huge. They're all 411 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 2: these massively intricate combinations of stained glass kind of pieces, 412 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 2: three three dimensional black I don't. 413 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: Know, I don't know I feel about that because it 414 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:31,399 Speaker 1: reminds me of the painter Thomas Kincaid or some of 415 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: the airport novelists, like, oh, who's that guy who? It 416 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 1: doesn't matter, but. 417 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: Well, I hear you been on certain things. I definitely agree. 418 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 2: But let's also think about like film, you know, production, 419 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 2: Like you've got a filmmaker, a quote unquote director or whatever, 420 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 2: who's who's job it is to guide the vision and 421 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 2: direct the work of hundreds dozens, if not hundreds of 422 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 2: other very specific crafts people, and yet it is the 423 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 2: director that ultimately kind of is the most remembered name 424 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 2: when it comes to one of those projects. So with 425 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 2: something like this, with this level of intricacy and oversight, 426 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 2: I think I'm on board with giving him the props 427 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 2: that he deserves. 428 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: I hear you. That's a really good point. Yeah, because 429 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,360 Speaker 1: you know, if you're the even if you were Stanley 430 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: Kubrick or something, you can't also be in charge of 431 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: the craft table. Rights takes a village, and the House 432 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: of Faberget at this point is a village. There are 433 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: tons of people evolved in crafting these eggs. Two of 434 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:38,360 Speaker 1: the most prominent artisans are Mikhale Perkin and Heinrich Wigstrom. 435 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: These eggs, to your earlier excellent point about size, they 436 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: are little do dads, right, They're little chotchkes. I love 437 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: the word chachkes. They're three to six inches tall, not 438 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: counting their equally elaborate bases. All in all, there are 439 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 1: fifty of what we call Imperial egg created from eighteen 440 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: eighty five, the first one, the head egg, all the 441 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 1: way up to nineteen seventeen. There's a brief pause in 442 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: commissions from nineteen oh four to nineteen oh five. That's 443 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: due to the Russo Japanese War, which we did a 444 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: whole episode on maybe more than one. 445 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 2: Actually, yes, do go back and check that one out. 446 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 2: So Carl he kind of saw that he had it 447 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 2: pretty good in terms of like being not the only 448 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:32,120 Speaker 2: game in town in terms of elaborate, you know, design 449 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 2: of bespoke jewelry pieces. But he had created a brand 450 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 2: at this point, he had created a thing that it 451 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 2: would almost be in poor form for anyone else to 452 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 2: attempt at this point, right, yeah, yeah, like it's his thing, 453 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 2: Like I mean, like they're going directly to him. You 454 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 2: got to imagine though, that there were imitators, right. 455 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, faux Berge, Yeah, that's very great. We gotta do it. 456 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: So Faberge was to your point, commissioned to make non 457 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: imperial eggs, but these are all still very much for 458 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:08,360 Speaker 1: the one percenters of the time, people like the Duchess 459 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: of Marlborough or the Rothschild family, the yusobrovs. Faberge was 460 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 1: commissioned to make a couple of eggs for a guy 461 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: named Alexander Kelch. He even made one for the nephew 462 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 1: of an absolute dynamite guy named Alfred Nobel. 463 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 2: Yep, the guy I remembered mainly for the Peace Prize 464 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 2: that bears his name, but also, yeah, definitely the dude 465 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 2: that invented like the least peaceful thing that ever could 466 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 2: be brought into existence, dynamite. 467 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I wonder if we'll ever get in trouble 468 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: for describing Al as a dynamite guy. 469 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. 470 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: It's accurate. We know that there have been as many 471 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: of six nine of these Faberge eggs created during the 472 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 1: era of Czarist Russia. Sixty one survive. We won't list 473 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 1: all the fifty Imperial eggs, but you do need to 474 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: know they are definitely the top tier, or as we 475 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: say in video games, the s tier of the bunch. 476 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: We should get into some of this nool because Alex, 477 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: our buddy Alex or Alexi if you prefer, and his 478 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: son Nikolay, the Nikolay commissioned most of the Imperial eggs Alex. 479 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:39,440 Speaker 1: Alex signed on for ten Nick signed on for forty 480 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:43,320 Speaker 1: or two more that were designed but never really fully 481 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: completed because they came at the end of that era. 482 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: Right now, the fifty completed eggs, there are forty four 483 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: that are known to exist in some form, either complete 484 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: or partial, which makes us wonder what happened man. 485 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 2: So some of these are lost to history, right. 486 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, what happened to your eggs? Doc? 487 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: And I do want to get into this. Maybe we'll 488 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 2: save it a little bit of I think everyone listening 489 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 2: probably wants a little bit of a price list. 490 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, well let's do it. Now. Hit us 491 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: with some of your favorites, because these are all unique. 492 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 2: We do have a list of some of the most 493 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 2: expensive Faberge eggs from that Imperial well not all of 494 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 2: which are from the Imperial run, but one that definitely is, 495 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:30,959 Speaker 2: which is called the Third Imperial Easter from eighteen eighty seven. 496 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 2: And if we were going to describe this one, it 497 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 2: would be a golden egg kind of clock piece with 498 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 2: like lions feet and it looks to me like the 499 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 2: there's a diamond pendant right in the middle and all 500 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 2: of this gold filigree and you know kind of what's 501 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 2: the word scroll work kind of you know, and beveled 502 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 2: egg in this rested in resting in this kind of 503 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 2: a cradle with all of that metal work that I 504 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 2: was talking about, and it hinges the top hinges like 505 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 2: an Easter egg, well plastic Easter egg. But as you 506 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 2: do that, there's moving pieces, moving parts that raise up 507 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 2: a beautifully machined and very elegant looking I sound like 508 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 2: a mon antique throat show clock. 509 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: I love it. 510 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 2: And a lot of these had what I think we 511 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 2: didn't mention. We hadn't really described the look of too 512 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 2: many of these. A lot of these did have really 513 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 2: cool ornate kind of moving parts. Yeah, points of articulation 514 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 2: is exactly how you put it in. Like, for example, 515 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,239 Speaker 2: one that I saw you open the top and all 516 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 2: of a sudden like this like fan of little framed portraits, 517 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 2: kind of like fans out really really cool. So this 518 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 2: one the third Imperial Easter egg, given by Alexander, the 519 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 2: third Emperor and autocrat of all the Russias. He is 520 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 2: referred to to Empress Maria Fyodorovna. That's the one original 521 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 2: one that we talked about for Easter eighteen eighty seven. 522 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 2: I love this description on wartski dot to think is 523 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 2: like an appraisal type site. The jeweled and rigid yellow 524 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 2: gold egg rests on its original tripod pedestal with chased 525 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 2: lion paw feet and encircled by colored gold garlands suspended 526 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 2: from cabochan blue sapphires, topped with rose diamond set bows 527 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 2: one's missing. It contains a surprise of a lady's watch 528 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 2: by Vacheron Constantine with a too sorry, too much French 529 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 2: on that one, with a white enamel dial and open 530 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 2: work diamond set gold hands. The watch has been taken 531 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 2: from its case to be mounted in the egg and 532 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 2: is hinged, allowing it to stand upright hazarding a guess here, y'all, 533 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 2: what do you think how much for the third Imperial Easter? 534 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: The for the one from eighteen eighty shoes? 535 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 3: Uh? 536 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 2: Huh? You know that, I know, I know that you 537 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 2: probably know, Max, if you were to hazard a guess 538 00:32:54,920 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 2: one hundred and eighteen thousand pounds thirteen three million dollars, 539 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 2: I might be close. I don't know how what a 540 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:07,240 Speaker 2: pound conversion is, and for a penny in for a pound, 541 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 2: let's start doing that. 542 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: And that's an excellent guess. 543 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 2: Max, dude. That's the thing man, with some of the 544 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 2: stuff like this, based on where we exist, if outside 545 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 2: of our research, just in the world, we have no 546 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 2: frame of reference for an object worth thirty three million 547 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 2: dollars thirty three millions million dollars. That's right, I like 548 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 2: the past ten's there. 549 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is so this shows us just how how 550 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: rarefied the air is in this situation. And one thing 551 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: we have to we have to point out for all 552 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: our fellow astute, ridiculous historians, is that you will have 553 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 1: clocked a specific year when the original House of Faberget 554 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: stopped cranking out these eggs. It's nineteen seventeen. Because you see, folks, 555 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: the entire time the House of Faberget is making nice 556 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: with the Russian royal family, making these objects of fancy 557 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: for them. There's a lot of trouble brewing in the 558 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:13,720 Speaker 1: rest of the empire. The public is beat me here, Max, 559 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:15,239 Speaker 1: fucking starving. 560 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, we did all ben, We did not mention that 561 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 2: context whatsoever. I mean this is, you know, a absolutely 562 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:29,359 Speaker 2: despicably gross flex and you know, when it comes to 563 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 2: what else is going on under their you know, their oversight. 564 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: Right or lack. They're black thereof people people are saying, 565 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: you know, these royals are cartoonishly corrupt, the government's inefficient. 566 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:49,040 Speaker 1: Let's also consider if it's nineteen seventeen. World War One 567 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 1: has absolutely obliterated the economy. Morale is in the toilet. 568 00:34:55,480 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 1: People are again starving like wishing they could bread, while 569 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: the royals are admiring they're silly, expensive inedible eggs. The 570 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: people revolt, the Imperial government is overthrown. No more eggs 571 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: for you, jerks, cry the peasants. Fun fact about the 572 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 1: Russian Revolution not really a fun fact. Russian Revolution of 573 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: nineteen seventeen was two revolutions in the very same year. 574 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 1: One in February the overthrow, another in October when Lennen 575 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: and the Bolshevik boys take over and create the Soviet Union. 576 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, check out the animated film Ani Station I tell. 577 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,799 Speaker 1: You all, yeah right as well. 578 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 2: Only died in nineteen eighteen. She was the youngest daughter 579 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 2: of Czar Nicholas the Second, who was the last sovereign 580 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 2: of Imperial Russia. 581 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,719 Speaker 1: And in the wake of this chaos, the Faberge Workshop 582 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: in Saint Petersburg, like so many other private industries, is 583 00:35:56,080 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 1: nationalized under the red flag of communism. Whatever, we'll keep 584 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: it for sure. 585 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 2: No, no, and I mean unless you'd be like, okay, come 586 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 2: on back to the numbers, give us more expensive things, 587 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 2: just a couple more like eighteen ninety seven, ten years 588 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 2: later from the Third Imperial Easter, we have the Imperial Coordination, 589 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 2: which has got like a carriage kind of design that 590 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 2: one's valued at eighteen million, but outside the Rothschild clock, 591 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 2: which is almost as valuable as the original Third Imperial 592 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 2: Easter made for the Rothschild family in nineteen oh two 593 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:34,279 Speaker 2: twenty five point one million. But Ben, isn't there sort 594 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 2: of a modern carrying on of the Faberge name? Don't 595 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 2: they like make stuff now? Because I heard something about 596 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 2: a Game of Thrones Faberge. 597 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: Egg it is correct, you are, You're absolutely correct. The 598 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: Faberge Egg brand, or the House of Faberget brand, i 599 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,800 Speaker 1: should say, has been reconstituted. 600 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 2: We know that there are. 601 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 1: There things is recently as twenty twenty three, the Faberge 602 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:09,520 Speaker 1: House of Faberget, not Carl. They debuted the Journey and 603 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:15,399 Speaker 1: Jewels on a luxury cruise ship and there so they're 604 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:20,320 Speaker 1: still keeping the hope alive in the modern day, despite 605 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: the fact that you know, Carl is a sad point. 606 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:31,040 Speaker 1: Carl unfortunately passes away only three years after the Russian Revolution. 607 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: He and his family have to skip town obviously they 608 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 1: will have been murdered, and he passes away in nineteen 609 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 1: twenty in Switzerland when he's seventy four years old. We 610 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,480 Speaker 1: also know that amid all this pandemonium, some of the 611 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: eggs disappeared, some were destroyed properly, but in our opinion, 612 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,719 Speaker 1: it's way more likely that a lot of these were away, Yeah, 613 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 1: squirreled away and hidden in the nest of a private collector. 614 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:05,319 Speaker 3: Yeah. 615 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,439 Speaker 2: Speaking of exactly been good with the egg the egg 616 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,239 Speaker 2: metaphors of the egg references. The one that I think 617 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,439 Speaker 2: is the most beautiful and interesting sounding that we talked 618 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 2: about today was the hen with sapphire pendant, which was 619 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:20,919 Speaker 2: the one with the little pillow and the egg within 620 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 2: the egg that is among the missing Faberge eggs. And 621 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:26,720 Speaker 2: if you want to find out a little bit more detail, 622 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 2: check out history Hits article the Mystery of the Missing 623 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,719 Speaker 2: Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs. And I just want to add 624 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 2: and then I'm done. It does appear that the House 625 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 2: of faberget Stock has fallen just to touch, even in 626 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:41,880 Speaker 2: their attempt at a rebrand here because that Game of 627 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 2: Thrones egg that I mentioned that is modeled after one 628 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:48,360 Speaker 2: of the dragon eggs in the popular Fantasy TV series 629 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:55,959 Speaker 2: only two point two mil only two pshaw, tut tut. 630 00:38:56,719 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 2: This is one of the weirdest parts of this entire tale. Folks, 631 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 2: right now, as Noel Max and yours truly are recording 632 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 2: this and as you have joined us to hang out 633 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 2: wherever you are in this wide world, someone listening to 634 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:17,760 Speaker 2: this episode may indeed possess one of these missing eggs. 635 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 2: It is not impossible that one of our fellow ridiculous 636 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 2: historians may be just sort of fitling with one of 637 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,480 Speaker 2: these missing eggs while they're listening to the show. And 638 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 2: if you happen to make it a Saint Petersburg, Ben, 639 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 2: I think this is still a thing. Isn't there a 640 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 2: Faberge museum where you can check out some of the 641 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 2: ones that are still around. 642 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:43,759 Speaker 1: Yes, and we are in active conversations about whether we 643 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,720 Speaker 1: can make it to Russia. Oh jeez, it's a different 644 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: that's a different story. Right now. What you'll notice, folks, 645 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: is you'll see numbers for the missing eggs reported as 646 00:39:54,080 --> 00:40:00,040 Speaker 1: anywhere between like eight to seven to six. And the 647 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: reason that number is changeable is because there is still 648 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 1: hope to find these weirdo missing eggs. Mentioned Hedden with 649 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:14,160 Speaker 1: sapphire pendant. There's Cherub with Chario Necessarre, There's Royal Danish, 650 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 1: there's Alexander third commemorative there's one called wave anyway. 651 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,920 Speaker 2: Like the color of like a like a like a 652 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:23,720 Speaker 2: reddish hue. 653 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,399 Speaker 1: I think you're correct on that one. Man. Here's here's 654 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,640 Speaker 1: the thing. This is maybe where we end it. People 655 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: are still finding these missing eggs. Back in twenty fifteen, 656 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 1: the third Imperial Easter Egg was discovered by a guy 657 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 1: who had been planning to melt it down for scrap. 658 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:46,799 Speaker 1: It's a great story. He essentially he ended up googling 659 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 1: the value of metal because he got a they call 660 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 1: it a jumble sale, but like an estate sale. 661 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,160 Speaker 2: I like jumblestale. They say that more like in the 662 00:40:58,719 --> 00:40:59,840 Speaker 2: maybe the Northeast and the. 663 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, Midwest exactly. So he said, maybe I can 664 00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 1: make five hundred dollars by selling this gold egg for scrap. 665 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: And then he figured out it was one of the 666 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: famous missing Faberge eggs, which means it's possible that one 667 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,440 Speaker 1: day these eggs might emerge into the public eye. Again 668 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 1: this is where okay, So here's where we end it. 669 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 1: Noel Max, if you ran across a Faberge egg in 670 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: the wild, right like at a junk sale, add an 671 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:39,839 Speaker 1: estate sale, what would you do? 672 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 2: I will say, I'm not I would think I would 673 00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 2: know enough at this point to recognize it. But there 674 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 2: is an episode of Pond Stars, I think where a 675 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,400 Speaker 2: woman asks for like one thousand dollars for what she 676 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:57,320 Speaker 2: describes as an ugly piece of jewelry because she doesn't 677 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:00,120 Speaker 2: really understand what it is, and they immediately clock it 678 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 2: as a Faberge egg and offer fifteen k for him. 679 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:06,839 Speaker 2: I would eat it, You would eat it, you would 680 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 2: choke on it. Max, little bites, little bite, that's true. 681 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:14,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 682 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, noticed how they like totally phased out the original 683 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:20,560 Speaker 2: kinder egg designs in America because Americans are too supple. 684 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:20,839 Speaker 1: Thing. 685 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a legal thing. I think the real ones 686 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:26,759 Speaker 2: with the tiny chokable parts inside. Now you just get 687 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:28,680 Speaker 2: a little cookie with some icing. 688 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 1: I like the little action figures exactly. It's about the intricacy, 689 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:36,440 Speaker 1: the points of articulation and and to Max's point there, 690 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:39,399 Speaker 1: you know, uh, there's a guy who managed to eat 691 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:43,959 Speaker 1: an entire airplane by taking little bites out of time. 692 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:47,320 Speaker 1: We'll get to that story in the future. In the meantime, 693 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:50,920 Speaker 1: we cannot thank you enough for tuning in and joining 694 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:56,080 Speaker 1: us for another exploration of ridiculous history. So despite not 695 00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:58,600 Speaker 1: being able to thank you enough. We do want to 696 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 1: say thank you. We also want to thank our super 697 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:07,160 Speaker 1: producer mister Max Williams his biological brother Alex Williams currently 698 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:11,359 Speaker 1: on Adventures, who recorded this sick bop. You know who 699 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,399 Speaker 1: would dude, you know who would buy a Faberge egg 700 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:18,040 Speaker 1: and be really weird about it in the office. Jonathan 701 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 1: Strict Strict, he covered it, He'd hoard it like. 702 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:27,000 Speaker 2: Can you just imagine him? Yeah, because we have much 703 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:33,160 Speaker 2: more like Gollum. Just yeah, cover his precious fabric Gollumn 704 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:36,600 Speaker 2: accent like British and just missed both accents by a 705 00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 2: wide mile. 706 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: Y'all, be like that weird kid at Show and Tell 707 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: where he has a cool egg that has a lot 708 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:45,839 Speaker 1: of uh, a lot of bells and whistles to it, 709 00:43:46,719 --> 00:43:49,040 Speaker 1: and then he would want us to see that he 710 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 1: has it, and he wouldn't let us play with it. 711 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:56,760 Speaker 2: Ah, what a jerk share with the class. No right, 712 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 2: my own now, I will say, y'all, though I don't 713 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,160 Speaker 2: I'm not like a blinkster or anything like that. I 714 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:05,960 Speaker 2: don't have like rings on every finger like some kind 715 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:09,200 Speaker 2: of crazy neck piece. But as I've gotten a little older, 716 00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 2: I do like just a simple gold chain or shit, 717 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 2: you've been wearing one. I've been wearing I just it's 718 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 2: not about the flex, it's just about I think it 719 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:19,880 Speaker 2: just you get to a certain point where it's like, 720 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 2: I do want to represent maybe that I'm a quote 721 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 2: unquote adult. You could like afford a gold chain, but 722 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,560 Speaker 2: not necessarily an iced out, you know, death Row Records logo. 723 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:33,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to send you a great song by a 724 00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:35,080 Speaker 1: group called Brockhampton. 725 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 2: Brockhampton, Yeah about gold chains. 726 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:42,200 Speaker 1: Also big thanks to big thanks to Rachel Big Spinach Lance, 727 00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:46,000 Speaker 1: the world authority on underwater explosions. Big thanks to A. J. 728 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: Bahama's Jacobs, Big thanks to Eaves, Jeff Go. Chris rossiotis 729 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:54,120 Speaker 1: here in spirit and of course the rudeest of dudes 730 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:59,120 Speaker 1: at Ridiculous Crime and No big thanks to a follow Ah. 731 00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:04,439 Speaker 2: Also you Apologizer. Thank you very much, you guys. We'll 732 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:14,759 Speaker 2: see you next time. Folks. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 733 00:45:14,840 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 2: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 734 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 2: to your favorite shows.