Maria Semenova shaded cloisonné enamel casket, Moscow, 1908-1909

The interior engraved with the dedicatory inscription: William T. Schley from Lizzie M. Palmer December 25th, 1909

Silver, enamel, gilding

2 5/8 x 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (6.7 x 13.9 x 9 cm)

Inv. no. ab_0276

Exhibited: 

Moscow, Gosudarstvennyi istoriko-kulʹturnyi muzei-zapovednik "Moskovskii Kremlʹ", “Karl Faberzhe i Fedor Riukert. Shedevry russkoi emali,” 9 October 2020 – 14 February 2021, no. 431.

Publications:

Muntyan, T.N. Karl Faberzhe i Fedor Riukert. Shedevry russkoi emali. Moscow: Gosudarstvennyi istoriko-kulʹturnyi muzei-zapovednik "Moskovskii Kremlʹ", 2020. Cat. no. 431, p. 354.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Pitts Merrill Palmer (1838-1916), the only child of entrepreneur Charles Merrill (1792-1872), was a lifelong philanthropist whose generosity benefitted the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. She and her husband, US Senator and later Minister to Spain Thomas Palmer (1830-1918), were supporters of the University of Michigan, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the YMCA, and the Michigan Humane Society. They donated the land that became Palmer Park to the city of Detroit. The couple were active politically and supported women’s suffrage, prohibition, and immigration restrictions. After her husband’s death, she founded the Merrill-Palmer Institute to support infant and child development. It is now part of Wayne State University.