An Imperial jewelled gold mounted hardstone bonbonnière
by Carl Fabergé,

naturalistically modelled in yellow rock crystal as a Japanese quince,
its hinged gold mounted lifted with a line of rose diamonds.

Chief Workmaster: Michael Perchin,
St. Petersburg, circa 1900,
inventory number: 3496.

3.6 cm by 4cm

Fabergé produced a very small number of fruit studies. In them he explored the idea
of using cryptocrystalline materials to represent crystalline fruits. The choice of a
Japanese quince is significant in that Fabergé collected Japanese works of art and
took inspiration from Japanese culture. He made a number of flower studies
in the Japanese taste. The Royal collection contains a Japanese convolvulus
and Leopold de Rothschild bought two studies of Japanese flowers from
 Fabergé’s London branch in December 1908.

Provenance:

Purchased from Faberge by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina
Alexandra Feodorovna on 24th December 1900.

Collection of His Majesty King Farouk of Egypt.

Sold by the order of the Republican Government of Egypt,
The Palace Collections of Egypt,
 Sothebys, Cairo, March 1954 lot 1503,
purchased by A Kenneth Snowman of Wartski London,

Collection of Robert Strauss.