Jam (Varenye) Basket

1887–96

Jam (Varenye) Basket, 1887–96. Attributed to Feodor Ivanovich Rückert (Russian, 1840–1917), House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918). Silver gilt, opaque cloisonné enamel; overall: 6.1 x 11.8 cm (2 3/8 x 4 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The India Early Minshall Collection 1966.500.5 A particularly Russian component of this tea service is this little basket, meant to hold fruit preserved in a sweet juice, called varenye. At Russian tea, varenye was strained and served over cakes or biscuits in a similar way that the English take jam with scones at high tea. This jam (varenye) basket is part of a larger tea set.