A chimpanzee, scratching itself, carved in brown, mauve and blue agate, with olivine eyes.

This expressive carving is one of a number of apes in the Royal Collection. Monkeys, macaques, orang-utans and chimpanzees were all sold through the London branch of the firm. In July 1908 Queen Alexandra purchased an agate chimpanzee for £14 10s. The striations in the agate have been exploited to mimic the natural colouration of the ape and the texture of its fur.

Text adapted from Fabergé in the Royal Collection