Miniature Snail c. 1890

This miniature snail was created by Dom Faberzhe using materials like nephrite, jasper, and gold. Far from traditional fine art materials, these gems belong more to the history of decorative arts, especially jewelry. The snail's translucent shell is meticulously carved from orange jasper, its subtle banding emulating the natural growth patterns of a real snail’s shell. This painstaking process involved grinding, polishing, and carving, each step demanding enormous skill. The nephrite, or green jade, used for the snail’s body and the gold for the antennae, would have required similar techniques of lapidary work, or gem-cutting, and goldsmithing. The intense labor required to produce such a sculpture reveals much about the social context in which it was made. Faberzhe's creations were made for the Russian Imperial court and other wealthy patrons, highlighting the great divide between labor and consumption. Objects like these blur the lines between craft and fine art, inviting us to consider the artistry embedded in skilled making and the values we attach to the labor involved.