Oval Box with Monogram of Nicholas II
(18th and 19th Centuries )
This nephrite box is decorated with the monogram of Nicholas II in diamonds. The 300-year-long reign of the Romanov dynasty ended in 1917 in the revolution that cost Nicholas II his life. Later, in the 1920s, Henry Walters, founder of the Walters Art Museum, was able to buy a select group of objects with connections to the Russian royal family, including this piece. Jeweled boxes were often given as diplomatic gifts, and hardstone carving, in nephrite, malachite, or jasper, for example, was a Russian specialty.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Alexandre Polovtsoff (Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Polovtsov), Paris, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, ca. 1929-30, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2017-2018 | Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition: An Empire's Legacy . The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2014-2016 | From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2003-2004 | The Fabergé Menagerie. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus; Portland Art Museum, Portland. |
| 1984 | Objects of Vertu: Precious Works of the Eighteenth Century. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1993-1994 | Fabergé. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris; Victoria and Albert Museum, London. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/16/1964 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 2/1/1988 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 2/1/1988 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 10/8/1992 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 4/7/1995 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 2/28/2002 | Treatment | examined for condition; other |
| 12/20/2002 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 1/1/2003 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 5/1/2004 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Russia, St. Petersburg (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 1 3/4 × W: 3 9/16 × D: 2 5/8 in. (4.4 × 9 × 6.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1929-1930
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.1047
Creative Commons License