The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 21, 2024

Turtle Bell Push

Turtle Bell Push

c. 1895–1915
(Russian, 1842–1918)
Russia, St. Petersburg
agate, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies
Overall: 2.6 x 7.7 x 6.1 cm (1 x 3 1/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
The India Early Minshall Collection 1966.473
Location: 211 Fabergé

Did You Know?

To summon the butler, a quick push on the turtle's head would ring the bell downstairs.

Description

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.
  • ?-1966
    India Early Minshall [1885–1965], Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1966-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Hawley, Henry H. Fabergé and His Contemporaries: The India Early Minshall Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1967. Mentioned: p. 84, cat. 41; reproduced: p. 85 ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
    Fabergé, Peter Carl, and Deborah E. Horowitz. The Fabergé Menagerie. Exh. Cat. Baltimore: The Walters Art Museum, in association with London: Philip Wilson Pub, 2003. Reproduced: p. 188, cat. 120 ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
  • Fabergé's Menagerie: The Animal Creations of the Fabergé Workshop. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD (organizer) (February 14-July 27, 2003); Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH (October 12, 2003-January 4, 2004); Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR (February 8-May 2, 2004).
    Walters Art Museum (2/14/2003-7/27/2003); Columbus Museum of Art (10/12/2003-1/4/2004); Portland Art Museum (2/8/2004-5/2/2004): "Fabergé's Menagerie: The Animal Creations of the Fabergé Workshop," ex. cat. no. 120, p. 188.
    Year in Review: 1967. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29-December 31, 1967).
    The India Early Minshall Collection: Faberge and his Contemporaries. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 15, 1967-January 21, 1968).
  • {{cite web|title=Turtle Bell Push|url=false|author=House of Fabergé|year=c. 1895–1915|access-date=21 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1966.473