This is one of the finest examples of the use by Fabergé of hardstones - the piece of agate selected is mid-reddish brown with a milky white striation that perfectly captures the sheen of the hen's feathers. Birbaum stated that the Sandringham carvings were generally made from naturalistically coloured stones that matched the colouring of the animal or bird - while this is perhaps not always the case, this hen is an excellent example of what he asserted.

Text adapted from Fabergé's Animals: A Royal Farm in Miniature