A Russian Champleve enamel Cane, Moscow ca. 1890

Champlevé enamelling is conceived to add colour and glitter to metalwork by creating small “compartments” below the surface, which are then filled with powdered glass and other materials and heated to a fusion point in a kiln. Once the enamel has cooled, must be smoothed with pumice stone and polished. The metal lines left untouched between the troughs serve as partitions. 

Used in jewellery art made during Classical Antiquity, it was only during the era of Celtic art (from about 400 BCE onwards) that the technique became consistent and widespread.

This cane is fashioned as a Montgolfier balloon and modelled in the raised enamel champleve technique with Russian patterns and coloured with turquoise blue, red, white, purple, and ultramarine-blue shadows. The elaboration detail and fineness suggest high skills. There are traces it has been gilded once. It is 7 cm high x 4 cm diameter, it bears Russian trademarks, one is the traditional Kokoshnik 48 the other is AA (assayer) Anatoly Apollonovich Artsybashev, active in Moscow from 1888 - 1898, according to the well-known silver-marks catalogue online 

https://www.925-1000.com/Frussia_assay_01.html It is on top of a sound black snakewood shaft and finishing with an ivory tip, the O.L. is 91 cm, there are minimal signs of use, the condition is perfect. 

Antique Walking Cane Collection Antiker Spazierstock Sammlung Antique Canne Collection Antiek Wandelstok Verzameling Antico Bastone Collezione Античный трость коллекции Baston Antiguo Coleccion