Dog chasing a rabbit in a landscape with dacha and hut
ca. 1800–1810
Medium
Glass, enamel; moss, straw, paper, sand, stone, clay and mica
Dimensions
Overall: 4 1/8 × 2 7/8 in. (10.5 × 7.3 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture
Russian, Nikolskoye Pestrovka
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Munsey Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.185.281
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, Russian glassmakers from the Bakhméteff Glassworks in Nikolskoye Pestka crafted enchanting miniature scenes like *Dog Chasing a Rabbit in a Landscape with Dacha and Hut*, attributed to Alexander Vershinin 1800–1810. Thisutive treasure, measuring just over 4 inches wide, exemplifies the factory's mastery of glass as a canvas for storytelling. The base is delicately painted glass with enamel, capturing a lively rural chase amid a pastoral landscape featuring a dacha—a traditional Russian country house—and a humble hut, evoking the idyllic countryside life of imperial Russia. What sets this piece apart is its innovative mixed-media technique: tiny fragments of moss, straw, paper, sand, stone, clay, and mica are artfully layered atop the glass to mimic a three-dimensional, textured terrain. Birds dot the sky, dogs pursue a rabbit, and every element invites close inspection, much like peering into a frozen moment of nature. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, it highlights Russia's folk-art glass tradition, blending technical virtuosity with whimsical narrative to delight collectors and visitors alike. This work reflects the era's fascination with naturalistic vignettes, bridging decorative arts and sculpture in a portable, jewel-like form—perfect for a mantel or curiosity cabinet.
About the Artist
Alexander Vershinin|Bakhméteff Glassworks ( | ) · 1795 |1763 –1822 |1763
active 1795–1822|est. 1763