Tea Cup and Holder

c. 1908–17

Tea Cup and Holder, c. 1908–17. House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918). Silver, glass; handle: 7.6 cm (3 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Hiller-Borneman Collection 2021.156 Likely from a larger set, this tea glass with its holder is an excellent example of Fabergé’s ability to imbue objects of everyday use with exceptional artistry. The holder features elegant scroll motifs forming two horizontal bands and a handle, an ingenious take on the French ornamental style of the mid-eighteenth century. In Russia, tea has been served in glasses since the eighteenth century.