Kremlin Tower Clock

c. 1913

Kremlin Tower Clock, c. 1913. House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918). Rhodonite, silver, enamel, emeralds, sapphires; overall: 29 x 14.6 cm (11 7/16 x 5 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The India Early Minshall Collection 1966.477 The use of Russian hardstones in creating precious objects became a hallmark of design from the House of Fabergé. Easily carved, these minerals were sourced largely from the western region surrounding the Ural Mountains. Fabergé's workmasters used colorful stones such as agate, nephrite (jade), lapis lazuli, rock crystal, and rhodonite, seen here in this elaborate table or mantel clock, to create all manner of luxurious accessories. Bright pink rhodonite was among the rarest, and consequently most expensive, specimens used by the House of Fabergé.

This clock resembles the Taynitskaya Tower, the middle tower on the south side of the Kremlin. The House of Fabergé created this work to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, representing Fabergé's ability to balance the functionality of objects with intricate decorative design. The Kremlin tower, which this clock resembles, has a secret well and an underground tunnel that leads to the Moscow River.