Antique, Soviet/Russian, Niello, Gold Plated, 875 Solid Silver Kubachi Sweet Bowl
You are looking at a very rare and very collectible, handcrafted solid silver sweet bowl crafted by the silversmiths of Kubachi in the Dagestan, part of the Russian Federation. This bowl was given to my mother as a gift but now being sold as she is down sizing so now needs a new home.
The bowl itself is made of solid silver with 87.5% purity, coated with gold plate and Niello (is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver). Around the side of the bowl within the metal work, the bowl is decorated by what looks like a crest of herald device of some description. On the base of the bowl, there is a hall mark saying "875". I'm not sure of the bowls age but based on work by the same silversmiths, I believe it would be from the Soviet era, 1940's to 1950's. Please note however that this is only a guess on my part.
Was purchased second hand and according to the label attached (which is in Russian and took a while to translate), the bowl has 10% damage which I believe refers to a tiny bit of missing gold plate and a few minor scratches. The base is also slightly bent along the rim. Otherwise in excellent condition especially considering the likely age and the distance it has travelled. Please see the pictures.
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Item Details:-
Item: Sweet Bowl
Make: Silversmith of Kubachi
Material: Gold Plated, Solid 875 Silver
Origin: Dagestan - Russian Federation (Former Soviet State)
Dimensions (Approx): Diameter at Widest Point: 14.8cm, Diameter at Base: 8.7cm, Height: 8.5cm, Internal Bowl Depth: 7cm
Weight: 160g
Condition: Was purchased second hand and according to the label attached (which is in Russian and took a while to translate), the bowl has 10% damage which I believe refers to a tiny bit of missing gold plate and a few minor scratches. The base is also slightly bent along the rim. Otherwise in excellent condition especially considering the likely age and the distance it has travelled. Please see the pictures.