New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- One of the few remaining Faberge eggs - exquisitely crafted ornaments made from metals and gemstones - has been sold for £22.9 million ($30.2 million), setting a new auction record for the Russian jeweller. The Winter Egg, commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1913 for his mother, went to an anonymous bidder after a brief three-minute contest at Christie's in London. The price slightly surpassed the auction house's estimate of £20 million ($26 million).

The huge sum reflects the extreme scarcity of the House of Faberge's Imperial creations. Only 50 eggs were ever produced, and the Winter Egg is among just seven still in private hands. None have appeared at auction for more than two decades, with the rest eith...