Ladle
1865 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The kovsch is a boat-shaped vessel specific to Russia, which has a single handle and is used for ladling out drinks. By the 19th century most examples took the traditional shape shown here, usually being made of silver but sometimes of hardwood.
This kovsch is decorated using a technique known as niello, which dates from the medieval period. A mixture of silver, lead, copper and sulphur, which has a low melting point, is used to infill incised decorations on silver, the black compound creating a dramatic contrast with the silver. In the 19th century Russian silversmiths were the acknowledged masters of this technique.
This kovsch was bought from the Moscow-based firm of Sazikov at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867.
This kovsch is decorated using a technique known as niello, which dates from the medieval period. A mixture of silver, lead, copper and sulphur, which has a low melting point, is used to infill incised decorations on silver, the black compound creating a dramatic contrast with the silver. In the 19th century Russian silversmiths were the acknowledged masters of this technique.
This kovsch was bought from the Moscow-based firm of Sazikov at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, parcel gilt with niello inlay |
| Brief description | Silver, parcel-gilt with niello inlay, Moscow, 1865 made by Sazikov |
| Physical description | Ladle or Kovsh. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Assay master's mark: cyrillic BC, for Viktor Savinkov (used 1855-1888). Standard mark for 875 ( standard silver ). |
| Object history | Bought from the Russian firm of Sazikov at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. |
| Historical context | Niello is a mixture of silver, lead, copper and sulphur, which has a low melting point. It has been used since the medieval period to fill designs incised into metal. In the 19th century, the acknowledged masters of this technique were Russian silversmiths. |
| Summary | The kovsch is a boat-shaped vessel specific to Russia, which has a single handle and is used for ladling out drinks. By the 19th century most examples took the traditional shape shown here, usually being made of silver but sometimes of hardwood. This kovsch is decorated using a technique known as niello, which dates from the medieval period. A mixture of silver, lead, copper and sulphur, which has a low melting point, is used to infill incised decorations on silver, the black compound creating a dramatic contrast with the silver. In the 19th century Russian silversmiths were the acknowledged masters of this technique. This kovsch was bought from the Moscow-based firm of Sazikov at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 979-1869 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 3, 2004 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
