Silver Kovch From The Pavel Ovchinnikov Workshop, Crafted According To Designs By Sergei Vashkov.

A rare silver kovch from the Moscow-based workshop of Pavel Ovchinnikov, Purveyor to the Imperial Court, crafted at the turn of the 20th century in the Neo-Russian style. The artistic design of the object draws on the ornamental repertoire of Sergei Ivanovich Vashkov, one of the leading figures in Russian decorative arts during the Art Nouveau period.

The low, rounded body, edged with a wide, flared rim, is punctuated by applied vertical ribs that lend the form a remarkable architectural quality. The central part of the body is encircled by a wide ornamental frieze composed of a repetitive geometric motif combining diamonds, circles, and stylized plant elements. The engraved decoration is highlighted with niello and embellished with red cabochon-cut stones set in smooth circular mounts. The interior of the kovch is gilded.

The flat, palette-shaped handle extends the object’s geometric structure and ends in a circular openwork medallion depicting a stylized bird. The treatment of the ornamentation, the resolutely structured form, and the use of motifs drawn from the artistic heritage of medieval Russia allow us to draw parallels between the decorative language of this piece and the drawings by Sergei Vashkov published in *Religious Art*. A collection of ecclesiastical and secular objects produced by the Society of the Sons of P. I. Olovyanishnikov (Moscow).

Hallmarks: Beneath the base, the firm’s mark “P. OVCHINNIKOV” beneath the double-headed imperial eagle; the official Moscow hallmark for 84 zolotniks featuring a woman’s head wearing a kokoshnik; “IL” hallmark of the Moscow Assay Inspector Ivan Sergeyevich Lebedkin. Taken together, these hallmarks allow the object to be dated between 1899 and 1908.

Dimensions: Length 14.5 cm. Height 3.5 cm. Diameter 9 cm.

Weight: 145 g.

Condition: Good condition. Slight natural signs of wear and localized oxidation of the silver. The interior gilding is intact. The set decorative elements are intact.

Provenance: Private collection.

ID-ANTQ-6503