Description
The giving of small precious objects as intimate gifts between family members within the imperial court was spurred by the House of Fabergé's seemingly endless supply of bejeweled utilitarian objects decorated as expensively as possible, such as this stamp moistener disguising as an exquisite miniature bathroom chair (bidet) in the Louis XVI taste of the late 1700s.
Provenance
King Farouk of Egypt; (Sotheby's, Cairo, March 10, 1954, no. 126, for £66); India Early Minshall [1885–1965], Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?-1966); The Cleveland Museum of Art (1966-)
Accession Number
1966.455
Medium
gold, nephrite, enamel, pearls
Dimensions
Overall: 8.3 x 3.5 x 4.5 cm (3 1/4 x 1 3/8 x 1 3/4 in.)
Classification
Miscellaneous
Credit Line
The India Early Minshall Collection
