Fabergé Miniature Bought for £146 Could Fetch Over $1 Million

A gift to Rothschild worth 146 pounds has turned into a rarity worth millions

A rare gold palanquin by the Fabergé jewellery house, formerly owned by the Rothschild family, will be one of the highlight lots at Sotheby’s December auction in New York. The miniature, created around 1910, could fetch more than $1 million at auction.

Foto Sotheby's

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The piece is just 7.6 cm tall. It is crafted from gold in various shades, pink enamel, rock crystal and mother-of-pearl. This miniature replica of an aristocratic palanquin even reproduces the windows, interior finish and decorative elements, according to Forbes. According to Sotheby’s, there are only six such Fabergé pieces known to exist in the world, making the forthcoming auction particularly noteworthy.

The lot’s history is no less interesting than its craftsmanship. The first documented owner was Leopold de Rothschild. In 1910, he purchased the palanquin for 146 pounds sterling as a birthday present for his brother Alfred. More than a century later, the item is returning to the market in a completely different price bracket.

The sedan chair will form part of a major sale of the collection from the New York antique gallery A La Vieille Russie, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary. Sotheby’s will be auctioning over 300 items with a total estimated value of more than $15 million. In addition to Fabergé pieces, the collection includes Russian icons, paintings, porcelain, silver and antique jewellery.

There is a market precedent for these miniature stretchers. In 2017, a similar Fabergé piece was sold at Christie’s for 788,750 pounds sterling — approximately $1.04 million at the exchange rate at the time. An even more impressive result was achieved by a Fabergé Winter Egg: in December 2025, it sold at Christie’s for 22.9 million pounds sterling (around $30.2 million), setting a record for works by the jewellery house.

Other notable lots in the upcoming auction include a Fabergé floral arrangement featuring violets, acquired by Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (estimated at $300,000–500,000), and a dandelion-themed piece crafted from gold, jade and rock crystal ($250,000–350,000). Ivan Aivazovsky’s painting ‘Yalta Bay’ is estimated at $600–800 thousand.

The forthcoming sale will demonstrate just how highly collectors value not only the famous Imperial Eggs, but also rare Fabergé miniatures with a verified provenance.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

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