Russia, St. Petersburg / 1887–96
Tea Service
Tea Service
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Tea Service as miscellaneous (Russia, St. Petersburg · 1887–96).
WHY IT’S INTERESTING
This tea service still retains its large wooden presentation box.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this miscellaneous as silver gilt, opaque cloisonné enamel and credits Feodor Ivanovich Rückert (Russian, 1840–1917).
The museum's collection notes: Fabergé’s craftsmen in Moscow, especially under the watchful eye of workmaster Feodor Rückert, became known for their work in the pan-Slavic or neo-Russian style, hearkening back to 17th-century motifs of Russian folk art. Often on rather conventional shapes, Rückert and his silversmiths created an explosion of color, achieved through the historic technique of cloisonné enamel in which tiny metal lines are soldered to the surface then filled with glass powders in various colors and fired to create a high gloss finish. The result is a spectacular evocation of the 17th-century originals. Far from mere copies, however, Rückert's designs, such as
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtTea ServiceOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.