Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Cigarette Box with Miniature of "Blind Man's Bluff"
(18th and 19th Centuries )
The miniature, in matte enamel, reproduces Blind Man's Bluff, a popular painting by Konstantin Makovskii (1839-1915). In a teremok interior, a child and an older boy waving a peacock feather encourage a blindfolded young lady dressed in white while her companions seek to elude her. Incidental details include a mother seated with her child and companion, and a child stealing fruit from the table. The vaulted chamber is replete with scrolls of vine painted on the ceiling and with such furnishings as a large white tile stove, an icon, and a commode. The Kremlin Terem, restored after the designs of Fyodor Solntsev (1801-1892) in 1837, served as the prototype for the interior.
This box exemplifies Fedor Rückert's late style of painted filigree work in which ample use is made of decorative, filigree wire spirals and muted colors. In this work, they are predominantly dark blue, black, brown, and white.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Jean M. Riddell, Washington, D.C. [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2010, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2017-2018 | Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition: An Empire's Legacy . The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1987 | Old Russian Enamels. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. |
| 1993-1994 | Fabergé. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris; Victoria and Albert Museum, London. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 10/7/2015 | Treatment | The box is in excellent condition. Minor tarnish and grime was removed prior to exhibition. |
| 10/7/2015 | Treatment | Cleaned for exhibition |
Geographies
Russia, Moscow (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Overall H: 1 1/2 × W: 3 11/16 × D: 2 9/16 in. (3.8 × 9.3 × 6.5 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mrs. Jean M. Riddell, 2010
Location in Museum
Not on view
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.
44.915