Sleeping Puppies on a Mat

c. 1895–1915

Sleeping Puppies on a Mat, c. 1895–1915. House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918). Agate, chalcedony; overall: 2.9 x 11.7 x 9.9 cm (1 1/8 x 4 5/8 x 3 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The India Early Minshall Collection 1966.451 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 a begging poodle or brown and black jasper into these sleeping puppies. The use of native materials also promoted Russian nationalism, which appealed greatly to the tsar and his family. Fabergé's artisans used multiple types of stone to make each puppy unique. Even the little rug they are sleeping on is made of stone.