Box in the form of a banded trunk

House of Carl Fabergé

1899–1908 · Nephrite, gold, ename, diamonds · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

With its ribbon-ties, this box, shaped like a wrapped gift, was made by the firm of the Russian goldsmith Carl Fabergé (1846–1920), who had taken over his father’s jewelry business in Saint Petersburg in 1870. The presence of the Romanov double-headed eagle above the firm’s mark indicates that the piece was made in Moscow, where a branch was established in 1887. Russia’s natural resources provided a rich variety of hard stones, which were cleverly used by the House of Fabergé for the production of small animals, pots of flowers, and other precious objects.

Artist

House of Carl Fabergé

Date

1899–1908

Medium

Nephrite, gold, ename, diamonds

Culture

Russian, Moscow

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Vladimir M. Eitingon, in memory of his wife, Nadine (Nadia) Eitingon, 1982