Russia, St. Petersburg / 1908–17
Miniature Bathroom Chair (Bidet)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Miniature Bathroom Chair (Bidet) as miscellaneous (Russia, St. Petersburg · 1908–17).
The seat of this miniature bathroom chair cleverly opens to reveal a small compartment probably containing a damp sponge or ball of cotton to moisten stamps on a desk.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as gold, nephrite, enamel, pearls and credits Henrik Wigström (Russian, 1862–1923).
The museum's collection notes: The giving of small precious objects as intimate gifts between family members within the imperial court was spurred by the House of Fabergé's seemingly endless supply of bejeweled utilitarian objects decorated as expensively as possible, such as this stamp moistener disguising as an exquisite miniature bathroom chair (bidet) in the Louis XVI taste of the late 1700s.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMiniature Bathroom Chair (Bidet)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.