Eastern Europe, Russia, St. Petersburg, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A lovely gilt silver tea strainer boasting a brilliant surface decorated with snowy white and sky blue enamel. The charming utensil features a lustrous central colander of hemispherical form with petite drill holes forming an eight-pointed star for straining tea leaves surrounded by a broad decorative border of spiraling gilt motifs inside long hexagons of blue enamel creating the appearance of a blue petalled flower and then surrounded by ornate ovoid and circular dots on a field of intricate gilt silver decoration. A petite handle projects from one side of the implement, displaying a flared base flanked with circles and a slender, rounded neck that expands to a flared end decorated with swirling striations of gilt silver on a blue ground and ending in a gentle point with a tiny annular finial. Metal quality: 85.6% silver, 5.9% gold, 4.4% copper; Size: 2.875" in diameter x 4.875" H (7.3 cm x 12.4 cm); weight: 45.1 grams

The underside of the handle features the hallmark of an anchor and a grapnel crossing a scepter indicating that this piece was made in St. Petersburg after 1741. It is accompanied by the number 925 signifying the quality of the silver, an "S" serving as a maker's mark, and a swan, which means that this item was imported to France.

Provenance: ex-collection of James Farmer, Maryland, USA, collected from major galleries and auction houses between 1995 and 2005

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#120573

Petite indentation to colander. Remains of collection label on verso. Hallmarks and maker's mark on underside of handle. Excellent and intact with light patina on verso.