Faberge Leaf-Shaped Box on Display at Hillwood Museum

Faberge Leaf-Shaped Box, 1899-1908. On display at Hillwood Museum as part of their 'Faberge Rediscovered' Exhibit. Photo by Alex Braun. Courtesy of Hillwood Museum, Estate, & Gardens.   Peter Carl Faberge crafted this exquisite leaf-shaped box between 1899 and 1908 in St. Petersburg, Russia. It's possible he crafted it for a member of the Romanov court. Today it belongs to the estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post.  

Faberge Rediscovered

An avid collector of Russian decorative arts, particularly those of the house of Faberge, Ms. Post purchased this box and kept it in her bedroom. Upon her death, she bequeathed the box to her estate with the expectation that it would remain in on public display in her bedroom at Hillwood Estate. Usually, this is exactly where it rests, in a display case with other favored Russian boxes collected by the Postum Cereal heiress. However, at this time and through January of 2019, this gorgeous serpentine box has been relocated in the mansion, as part of a special exhibition called Faberge Rediscovered. This exquisite exhibition showcases the work of Peter Carl Faberge, as well as the works of his contemporaries, in order to draw attention to Faberge's unique and important place in the history of Russian decorative arts. Visitors to Hillwood Museum, Estate & Gardens walk through three display halls to experience the exhibition. Located in Washington, D.C., the museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays.  

A Bloody Stone

When you visit, make sure you set your eyes upon this gorgeous leaf-shaped box. Fashioned out of bloodstone, it features delicate golden leaves and bezel-set diamond berries. The weight and feel of this bloodstone creation must be so delectable to hold. Bloodstone, often mistakenly called heliotrope jasper, is a form of green jasper. The base color can range from the dark teal-green you see in the Faberge box, to light green. It typically includes zones of varying tone and color saturation. The most distinctive characteristic of bloodstone, though, is the bright red flecks that pepper the base color throughout. At one time, people believed that these flecks of red appeared for the first time at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. Apparently, drops of the Christian savior's blood dropped upon the jasper stone at the base of the cross he died upon. They soaked into the stone and transformed it into bloodstone. As a result of this widespread legend, Christian artisans during the Middle Ages often carved scenes of Jesus' crucifixion, as well as the martyrdom of the saints, into bloodstone, ensuring that the red flecks genuinely looked like blood.  

Bloodstone Jasper

Modern geologists, of course, dispelled the myths of Medieval Christians. Bloodstone is chalcedony (green jasper) with blood-red inclusions of iron oxide. These inclusions can range in color from bright blood red to a dull brownish red. During the 1700s, sculptors fashioned bloodstone into snuffboxes, cups, vases, and other decorative objects. {source} During the 1800s, bloodstone continued to find favor among artisans for boxes and small decorative objects, as well as for signet rings and seals. {source} In like manner, Faberge favored the stone for many of his decorative creations, primarily ornate boxes like this one and his famous jeweled eggs. Ancient sources of bloodstone included Egypt, Africa, and the East Indies. By the time Faberge came on the scene, most of these mines were either exhausted or closed to Europe. European jewelers sourced their bloodstone from India, China, Bulgaria, and Brazil. Faberge may have found sources for bloodstone in Russia. However, that is not certain. Today, bloodstone comes primarily from Australia, as well as the United States (California), Germany, Brazil, and China. The most recent supply was found on the Isle of Rum in Scotland. Bloodstone is gorgeous, and we hope you'll be able to find the time to see this gorgeous Faberge leaf-shaped box in person to see for yourself. For more information about the exhibition, please visit Hillwood's website.