Measures 56 mm wide x 79 mm long (with a "thickness" of approximately 20 mm); weighs 97.9 g. Features beautiful cloisonné enamel decoration inspired by traditional folk art, popular among the Russian upper middle class at the turn of the century. No less than six different colors of enamel are used: at least three shades of blue, as well as green, white and red. The artwork is nicely balanced and does not appear too busy or garish.

The 84 "Kokoshnik" silver purity hallmarks with the Greek character Delta - the designation of the Moscow assay inspection - are stamped on

Measures 56 mm wide x 79 mm long (with a "thickness" of approximately 20 mm); weighs 97.9 g. Features beautiful cloisonné enamel decoration inspired by traditional folk art, popular among the Russian upper middle class at the turn of the century. No less than six different colors of enamel are used: at least three shades of blue, as well as green, white and red. The artwork is nicely balanced and does not appear too busy or garish.

The 84 "Kokoshnik" silver purity hallmarks with the Greek character Delta - the designation of the Moscow assay inspection - are stamped on either side near the longer edge; note that both silver hallmarks are applied to the exterior of the box rather than on the inside, a somewhat characteristic feature of Moscow manufacture, yet blend perfectly with the surrounding artwork to remain unobtrusive to the eye. A clearly stamped maker's mark СШ (Cyrillic "SSh", trademark of Sergey Shaposhnikov workshop) appears on the lip of the bottom panel, on its shorter side on the right as viewed from the top. Shaposhnikov was a silversmith and silver goods vendor who operated in Moscow from at least 1897-1908. Today, there are two examples of his work, including a small enameled Kovsh, in the collection of the GIM National History Museum in Moscow / Russian Gold and Silverwork from the 15th to 20th Century , Postnikova-Loseva et al, C. 1995, Page 228/.

The case is in excellent condition throughout. The exterior shows practically no wear visible to the unaided eye; the enamel is exceptionally well-preserved having only two minuscule chips to the green ornamental scrolls, one on each of the panels and both of them in pretty much the same location next to the silver hallmark; there are also a few microscopic hairlines to a couple of other scrolls in the same area, none of them threatening the stability of the enamel. All of the damage is so tiny that it is almost completely unnoticeable without magnification - basically, one needs to know where to look for it to find it.

As is typical of most Russian cloisonné, there are random points where the enamel bubbled during the firing process, leaving a few tiny holes that are hardly larger than pinpoints - these are perfectly normal and not a result of wear. The case is free of corner bumps or dents. The hinge is completely intact, and the alignment of the panels is perfectly tight; the case opens and closes smoothly, and the catch works perfectly. The gilt is quite bright throughout and has only a few very tiny scuffs on the interior of the case that are barely noticeable. Overall, a beautifully preserved and very elegant piece!

Please note, the penny in our photo is for size reference.
$1,200.00  Add to cart