Fabergé
Bulbous Elephant
circa 1900
(purpurine and diamond)
With its ears, feet and trunk neatly tucked in, this eggy elephant takes on a form similar to that of a netsuke. Compared with most of (the house of) Fabergé’s work, the style of this piece definitely favours an Asiatic taste, making it more than likely a part of Fabergé’s œuvre of japonisme which held popular among clientèle from the dawn of the twentieth century. To some it may strike the eye as curious to pair deep red with the shape of an elephant calf, something that almost instinctually calls to mind the colour of mottled, rough grey and the texture of wrinkly skin. Though considering the creature in the context of its creation, it actually seems less curious that Fabergé would have crafted a small, cleverly-carved homage directed at the Japanese flag.
