Skip to Main Content

Flower Study of a Miniature Lily of the Valley

c. 1885–1915
(Russian, 1842–1918)
Russia, St. Petersburg
pearls, jade, rock crystal, gold, diamonds
Overall: 5.1 x 2.3 cm (2 x 7/8 in.)
The India Early Minshall Collection 1966.445
Location: 211 Fabergé
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

Small and delicate, Fabergé’s flower studies were given as intimate gifts to friends by Tsarina Alexandra and others in the court. She kept them in all the palaces as a reminder of spring during the harsh Russian winters.

Description

A small, carved rock crystal vase holds this lily of the valley study. The pearls, forming the flower’s buds, are drilled and attached to the remarkably slim gold stem. The hand-cut nephrite (jade) leaves enhance the naturalistic aura of the flower. Fabergé’s inspiration for his flower studies is said to have come from the floral brooches of precious stones that were made in the 1700s for Catherine the Great as well as from the Japanese art of flower arranging, known as ikebana.
Flower Study of a Miniature Lily of the Valley

Flower Study of a Miniature Lily of the Valley

c. 1885–1915

House of Fabergé

(Russian, 1842–1918)
Russia, St. Petersburg

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.