Covered Pot (1914): Art, History and Details

Covered Pot (1914) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Peter Carl Fabergé (Russian, 1846–1920).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

As Russia entered the First World War, austerity and economy settled into the fabric of life even among wealthy aristocrats and nobility. Not only were precious materials such as gold, silver, and gemstones hard to procure, but such luxury seemed out of place when so many men were dying at the front. Fabergé contributed to the war effort by making shells, casings, and other munitions out of brass and copper. He also made cookware, such as this small soup pot, to be sent to the front lines with provisions tucked inside. However, these simple forms only looked affordable. They were still a luxury only the wealthiest families could afford to send to their sons.

Object facts

• Title: Covered Pot
• Date: 1914
• Creator attribution: Peter Carl Fabergé (Russian, 1846–1920)
• Culture: Russia, St. Petersburg
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: copper with brass handles
• Dimensions: Overall: 12.7 x 13.4 cm (5 x 5 1/4 in.)
• Collection: Decorative Arts
• Department: Decorative Art and Design
• Accession number: 1966.511

A detail from the museum

This copper soup pot was sent to the front lines filled with provisions during the First World War.

Collection credit

The India Early Minshall Collection

Further reading listed by the museum

• Hawley, Henry. Fabergé and His Contemporaries: The India Early Minshall Collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, 1967.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.