Miniature Piano in Louis XVI Style Michael Perchin Before 1896 Nephrite, Enamel, Gold The Royal Collection |
The craftsmen at Fabergé relished the chance to showcase their keen skills with such objects which allowed them to replicate in precious stones and metals the real materials of the full-scale object. This miniature piano of Siberian nephrite was made by Fabergé master craftsman Michael Perchin (whose work often caught the attention of Queen Mary) and is carved and polished to resemble ebonized wood (though it has faded to a greenish color now).
The piano’s lid opens just as the lid of a real piano wood, allowing for use as a bonbonnière. More impressively, the front drops down to reveal a keyboard of gold and enamel. The keyboard is inscribed C. Fabergé.
Like many of the Fabergé items in Queen Mary’s collection, this wee piano originally belonged to Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. It can also clearly seen in one of the display cases in photographs of the exhibition of Fabergé held in St Petersburg in 1902. The masterpiece came into Queen Mary’s hands between 1922 and 1931.
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