Pair of Cockatoos
Topaz, tourmaline, rubies, gold, ivory, enamel, nephrite, sapphires, and diamonds; 10.16 cm
by House of Fabergé, and Henrik Wigström, early 20th century
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

The House of Fabergé also produced a range of hardstone animal carvings from the 1890s. Inspired by Japanese netsuke that Carl Fabergé collected, these tiny, lifelike sculptures often depicted birds, with a fine example being this pair of topaz cockatoos with ruby eyes. They are perched on an ivory stand mounted on a nephrite base with four golden ball feet. These hardstone animals echoed Fabergé's love for birds, as he himself kept a pet cockatoo, and even fulfilled commissions for personalised animal portraits, notably for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.