Humorously cast and chased as a sleeping sow, 1904 - 1908, marked on edge with ‘Fabergé’ in Cyrillic beneath the Imperial Warrant and workmaster’s initials for Julius Rappoport, St Petersburg. Dimensions: 16.5 cm. long. Total weight: 287 grams.

Most known for this bejewelled ornamental Easter Eggs, Carl Fabergé's (1846 - 1920) naturalistic subjects such as flowers and animals are perhaps his second most iconic creation. Although these are most well known in carved stone, many were similarly realistic and characterful. Within the known examples of these smaller carved agates and quartzes is a number of pigs, who seemed a popular subject in both London and Moscow. There is an example of a recumbent sow that was carved in aventurine quartz and modelled by one of the team of sculptors who visited the Sandringham Estate and observed the famed Norfolk breed living there.

This particular silver model is of course larger than the diminutive examples and is made by the workmaster Julius Rappoport
 who was a leadingg figure in the Fabergé workshop from 1886 -1908. Particularly known for his large silver animals, this sow is expertly cast and displays material-defying realism. Even more endearingly, she seems rather content and you can almost hear her contented little snores.