First of all, all museums need a collection to display. Whether it's a collection of impressionist paintings or chantilly porcelain vases, exhibits can draw large crowds looking for a little culture. There must be some pieces, some objects, that speak to museum goers as well as eccentric billionaires. Two words come to mind: Faberge eggs. This collection is sure to make anybody drool, not from hunger, but from the sheer exquisite detail and lavish ornamentation of each piece, not to mention the extravagant price of each egg.
In the past, only royalty and rulers have had the privilege of owning and displaying a Faberge egg. In fact, it was the Czar of Russia who commissioned the first egg be made for his wife as an Easter gift. The rest, as they say, is history. (Not a bad monologue to use as you show off your eggs). The very first Imperial egg contained a hen inside made of solid gold with ruby eyes. But the highlight of the collection is the "Coronation Egg." Inside the egg can be found an exact replica of a coach the Czarina rode in. This alone took 15 months to make and is made of gold, platinum, diamonds, and rubies (music to my ears). No wonder this egg has a price of $24 million. And if you want the entire collection of Imperial Faberge Easter Eggs, then your wallet will feel $120 million lighter. But who can put a price on bestowing history and beauty to the world?
Next on our tour of the world's most expensive museum, let's stop by the art gallery. To the right, Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." To the left, Picasso's "Guernica." Wait a minute. These pieces are simply too typical for LawCrossing members' taste. Why not display the most expensive painting in the world in the world's most expensive museum? Makes sense. But I'm afraid, for the first time in LawCrossing Weekend history, there's a tie. A landscape by Paul Cezanne as well as Vincent Van Gogh's "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" both come in at $82 million each. Pocket change for LawCrossing members, right? Just think of the reputation you'll earn by owning the 2 most expensive paintings in the world.
Keeping with the science theme is the most expensive thing in the world. Museums often hold within their echoing halls something curious, something strange, something amazing that just boggles the mind. And for the world's most expensive museum, this curious thing has to be pricey. There it is, sitting atop a velvet cushion, an element created by the Atomic Energy Commission, Californium-252, the most expensive thing in the whole wide world (at $350 billion a pound, I'd say it's expensive).
But that's the price of giving back to the people.
