Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. 20th century CE. A collection of five spoons made of gilded silver, with filigree cloisonne enamel on their backs and handles. All have different motifs, each a variation on different flowers and vines. All of them are multicolored, with different shades of blue, green, purple, white, cream, and red. Three are stamped with maker's marks on the sides of the handle; however, the marks are unclear and difficult to read. Size of largest: 1.15" W x 5.55" H (2.9 cm x 14.1 cm)

From the mid-19th century to the early 20th, Russian art of all kinds experienced a renaissance that is known as the Silver Age. Russian artisans were inspired by the Gothic, the Moresque, Chinoiserie, the Baroque, the Rococo… all ornate styles, replete with scrolling vines and flourishing arches. They combined this with the bright colors and rich ornament of Old Russian applied art to create a unique style of which silver items like these spoons are some of the most enduring.

Silverware was produced mainly in St Petersburg (which had more western European influence and therefore a more European style) and Moscow (where a more pure Old Russian-inspired style came from), but other cities like Kiev, Odessa, and even places as far afield as Archangelsk had silversmiths creating beautiful objects of art. The industry grew quickly, aided by art exhibitions held from the mid-1850s onward and the public excitedly snapped up the beautiful objects they produced. An exhibition in London in 1851 showcasing silver made in Moscow introduced the Old Russian style to western Europe and the renown of Russian silversmiths increased, with firms like Ovchinnikov, Kurlyukov, the Grachev Brothers, and Faberge attaining national and international renown.

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

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#120534

Light patina from age and handling, with some areas of wear to the gilding and slight encrustation in lower profile areas.