Russia, St. Petersburg / c. 1890–95
Miniature Table with Compass
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Miniature Table with Compass as miscellaneous (Russia, St. Petersburg · c. 1890–95).
A small compass is concealed in the top of this miniature table for use when looking at maps.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as gold, enamel, glass, steel and credits House of Fabergé (Russian, 1842–1918).
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 little desk compass disguising as a miniature table in the Louis XVI taste of the late 1700s.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMiniature Table with CompassOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.