Russia, St. Petersburg / c. 1895–1915
Sleeping Puppies on a Mat
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Sleeping Puppies on a Mat as miscellaneous (Russia, St. Petersburg · c. 1895–1915).
Fabergé's artisans used multiple types of stone to make each puppy unique. Even the little rug they are sleeping on is made of stone.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as agate, chalcedony and credits House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918).
The museum's collection notes: In creating luxurious accessories for a desk or tabletop, Fabergé often used native hardstones such as multicolored agate and jasper, green nephrite, pink rhodonite, and rock crystal found in the Ural Mountains of western Russia. By paying careful attention to the unique colors and textures of the stones, Fabergé and his craftsmen brought them to life, turning milky agate into a begging poodle or brown and black jasper into these sleeping puppies. The use of native materials also promoted Russian nationalism, which appealed greatly to the tsar and his family.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtSleeping Puppies on a MatOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.