This magnificent carving is on a much larger scale than all the other animals that formed part of the Sandringham commission, and although it was not purchased until 1914 (by Queen Alexandra) the extrordinarily well-observed portrait suggests that it was almost certainly modelled from life. The body of the bird in made from a combination of kalgan jasper and obsidian and is an example of what Birbaum described as 'mosaic sculpture' - when two or more stones are combined to give the most realistic effect possible, rather than relying purely on the striations naturally occurring within a single piece. The scale and quality of the piece is reflected in the high purchase price of £75. Text adapted from Fabergé's Animals: A Royal Farm in Miniature