Russia, St. Petersburg / 1900–1901
Imperial Barometer
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Imperial Barometer as miscellaneous (Russia, St. Petersburg · 1900–1901).
This barometer was likely sold by the Soviet Union between 1934 and 1939 as part of a general selling off of former imperial possessions to raise money for the state treasury.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as palisander, silver gilt, ruby and credits Johan Viktor Aarne (Finnish, 1863–1934).
The museum's collection notes: After obtaining the official warrant to supply objects for the imperial household and the Russian state in 1885, the House of Fabergé became the shop of choice for members of the royal family when purchasing appropriate gifts for the tsar who had everything. Records of these purchases reveal that in 1901 the tsar's brother, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich (1878-1918), bought a barometer in the neoclassical style made from palisander wood just a few days before his brother's 33rd birthday. The description of that barometer matches the one now in this collection and is likely the same object.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtImperial BarometerOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.