| The technique of enameling hit its height throughout | | | | enameled items that would be done in the Champleve |
| Russian around the end of the 1800's. The art of | | | | technique too. It was during the Tsarist Russia era of |
| enameling was very often applied to many types of | | | | the 20th Century that the enameled items were |
| Jewelry, pieces of art, and highly important or uniquely | | | | starting to outdo the pure silver only items that had |
| special gifts. But along with the many lavish articles that | | | | long been so popular in Russia. Enameled napkin rings, |
| enamel inlay was proudly displayed on, this technique | | | | tobacco cases, teaspoons, coffee cups, saltcellars, |
| that was so time consuming and complicated to do | | | | and bowls are almost all from the years of 1908 to |
| was also applied to a huge number of everyday | | | | 1917. |
| household items throughout Russian homes. These | | | | When studying the traditional Russian salt chairs, there |
| regular everyday items of silverware, plates, and many | | | | are many with ornaments of symbolism done with a |
| other common items were taken and beautified with | | | | presentation of polychrome enamel. There may be |
| enamel inlay just so Russia could emphasize their | | | | guarding birds, heraldic roosters that were crowns |
| country heritage. | | | | upon their heads, and many different types of |
| One of these Russian items is the enamel inlayed | | | | ornaments along with winding floral loops. The patterns |
| saltcellars, salt thrones, or salt chairs. The silversmiths | | | | of floral may run all around the four sides of the chair, |
| would design the salt chair to look like the basic | | | | along with the traditional old style of Russian chair feet. |
| armchair, but still keeping with the traditional Russian | | | | There often would be an izba gable; a seat back |
| designed style. When the application of the enameling | | | | delightfully covered many rich ornaments. All along the |
| technique is added for the transformation of plainness | | | | salt chair, there would often be several techniques of |
| to unique beautification, a whole new level of artistic | | | | enameling, ranging from Plique-a-jour technique, |
| design takes place. Even though the salt chairs made | | | | Cloisonné technique and the Champleve |
| of pure silver were slightly more common over the | | | | technique all on the same piece of art. It is very rare to |
| enameled salt chairs, both were of exquisite | | | | find such a beautiful specimen of Russian silver with |
| expression and fascination in beauty. | | | | enamel, if at all able to find such salt chair |
| With most all enameling being done with the | | | | extravagance that was made before the late 1800's. |
| Cloisonné technique, there were also plenty of | | | | |