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Bell Push in the form of an Elephant

ca. 1908–17
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 555
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Electricity was a new, expensive commodity in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Russia. Fabergé, ever alert to new fashions and technology, created numerous tabletop and desk-bell pushes used to summon servants; he was also fond of the elephant, which was popular among his lapidary productions. Symbol of purity and magnanimity, it has been suggested that this elephant may be a reference to Empress Maria Feodorovna, born the Danish princess Dagmar, as it recalls Denmark's ancient Order of the Elephant.

[Wolfram Koeppe, 2011]

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bell Push in the form of an Elephant
  • Maker: House of Carl Fabergé
  • Date: ca. 1908–17
  • Culture: Russian, probably St. Petersburg
  • Medium: Bowenite, gold, diamond, ruby, sapphire, champlevé and guilloché enamel
  • Dimensions: Overall: 2 x 2 3/4 x 1/2 in. (5.1 x 7 x 1.3 cm)
  • Classification: Lapidary Work
  • Credit Line: Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation
  • Object Number: L.2011.66.20
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts