Turtle Bell Push

c. 1895–1915

Turtle Bell Push, c. 1895–1915. House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918). 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 Cleveland Museum of Art, The India Early Minshall Collection 1966.473 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. To summon the butler, a quick push on the turtle's head would ring the bell downstairs.