Russia, St. Petersburg / c. 1895–1915
Turtle Bell Push
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Turtle Bell Push as miscellaneous (Russia, St. Petersburg · c. 1895–1915).
To summon the butler, a quick push on the turtle's head would ring the bell downstairs.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as agate, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies 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 this turtle bell push or black jasper into 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 ArtTurtle Bell PushOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.