Today's Google doodle celebrates the birthday of Russian jeweller Peter Carl Faberge, also known as "Karl Gustavovich Faberge". The doodle depicts Faberge eggs, which are Easter eggs made using precious metals and gemstones instead of regular materials.
The first Faberge egg was commissioned by the Tsar Alexander III of Russia in 1885 as a gift for his wife the Empress Maria. Faberge made one egg every year for the Tsar for the next 10 years. The next Tsar, Nicholas II, ordered two eggs each year, one for his mother and one for his own wife, Alexandra. The tradition continued until the October Revolution.
The Imperial eggs enjoyed great fame, and Faberge made some other large eggs for a few select private clients. A Faberge egg were also featured in the 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy, where it is the object of a bidding war between James Bond and Kamal Khan. Ultimately, Bond replaces the real egg with a dummy egg that contains a recording device.
The Google doodle features six Faberge eggs, one for each letter in the Google logo.