Fabergé cigarette case with a Japanese carp atop a wave, Moscow, circa 1890

Silver

3/4 x 4 x 3 1/8 in. (1.8 x 10.1 x 8.1 cm) 

Inv. no. ab_6943

Carl Fabergé was both a student and devotee of Japanese art and often reinterpreted designs of the Meiji (1868-1912) and Edo (1603-1867) eras in his work. This case depicts an energetic carp, or koi, atop the crest of a wave and probably draws from images of “carp ascending a waterfall” (koi-no-takinobori), a reference to a Chinese legend in which a determined fish is rewarded for its efforts by being made into a golden dragon.