Russian Cloisonné Enamel Tea Set

This exceptional Russian cloisonné and enamel tea set is the work of Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov. One of Russia’s most skilled enamel artisans, Ovchinnikov is credited with marrying the champlevé, cloisonné and plique-à-jour enameling techniques with Russian national style. The stunning six-piece set includes a teapot, sugar creamer, tea strainer, sugar tongs and tea scoop. Each of the silver items features elaborate cloisonné designs of geometrically arranged foliage in brilliant opaque colors. Cloisonné is the technique of creating designs on metal vessels with colored-glass paste placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires, which have been bent or hammered into the desired pattern. Known as cloisons (French for “partitions”), the enclosures are then either pasted or soldered onto a metal body and filled with beautiful colored enamels. Once complete, the items are fired to create a dazzling visual effect. In this elaborate set, deep blue and baby blue enamel flowers cont