www.925-1000.com

I hope someone might be able to identify the maker's mark on this nice silver cloisonne napkin ring. If you can see the picture, the Moscow 84 kokoshnik mark is partially overstruck on the maker's mark, but you can still make it out as ЖИ, or I suppose it might be ИЖ instead, since both characters can be inverted. Thanks!

Hi ElicottCity -

Khlebnikov, Ivan Petrowitsch, 1867-1871 was one of the most famous Russian silversmiths and enamel artists. The firm went later to Moscow and was known for their outstanding quality and design.
Now the bitter part:
the shown mark of Khlebnikov is the mark used in St. Petersburg, between И and X was a dot, later without dot.! Your mark is a fake.Townmark Delta on Kokoshnik is for Moscow. Your townmark is wrong, the Kokoshnik is the later one - wrong.
Quality: Khlebnikov was known for his elegant designs and his sophisticated enamel colours. The colours on your napkin ring are vulgar, the design is crude. For a napkin ring about 150 years old the overall condition is brand new,(enamel is due to use,environmental influences, etc. ageing and get some typical patina, the enamel is damaged slightly through tear and wear, the twisted wires of the cloisonné technic are no real twisted wires but galvano plastic made.
Facit: Typical fake seen often on online auctins, auction house etc.

Here the mark (with dot, but also without dot possible):


Original mark with correct Kokoshnik:


Original design and enamel colours:


Detail of real twisted wires:


Source: PL, p.182


Regards
Zolotnik

Zolotnik,
Thanks for your expert advice! It is a fascinating story anyway. I will post pictures of another piece if you don't mind, to get your opinion.

Very nice item (napkin ring). Super condition. My congratulations to you.
Good Moscow silver smith - artist on enamel, but, unfortunately, unknown master.
Initials ИЖ.

For example. It's his production:

Hi Dad -
even I see the difference in the quality of both items ....

Regards
Zolotnik

Hi, Zolotnik.

You are choosy so much. ))

Maybe it will be pleasant to you? :

Hi Dad -
I appreciate your expertise very much - but are you sure that all this brandnew objects are over 100 years old? Why nobody ever heared or have seen much from this maker? What is your source this exemplares come from?

Regards
Zolotnik

I must say that I'm a bit surprised too and I like to ask the same question as Zolotnik, so????

Zolotnik wrote:Hi Dad -
I appreciate your expertise very much - but are you sure that all this brandnew objects are over 100 years old? Why nobody ever heared or have seen much from this maker? What is your source this exemplares come from?
Regards
Zolotnik

Hi.

In this case it is unimportant.
It is important - the maker has initials ИЖ, but not ИХ (Khlebnikov). And his enamel products often meet. If his mark isn't present in the book of P.-L., it not his problem, but it's problem of P.-L.

Do you agree with me?

Hi Dad -
you know that i am a collector since more than 25 years and I own a lot of Russian silver - but I also have inspected (holding it in my hands and looking from all sides etc.) a lot of Russian silver in museums, auction houses, from othe collectors etc. What irritates me the most is that a completely unknown master suddenly appears, whom previously no one has ever seen - of all things on Internet auctions. The conservation status is as already stated sensational - on all previously seen objects.

I admit that it is not Khlebnikov's mark. My mistake!


Regards
Zolotnik