Rhodonite carved box

Item Description

This is a beautiful decorative box, for jewelry or other items, made out of a fine quality of carved rhodonite, black marble, and brass. The Ural mountains were a rich source of rhodonite as well as malachite and other stones, and there is a long tradition in Russia of making these carved stone boxes from local materials. It was purchased by Sharleen Harvey, daughter of museum founders Richard and Helen Rice, and donated to the museum. A dealer label from the 1990s attributes it to Russia, although we obviously cannot say for sure where it was made. The inside is lined with blue felt or velvet. This masses 619 grams.