Product Overview
This is an antique Russian silver niello cigarette case produced in the Moscow workshop of Vasily Rukashikov circa 1890s. The cigarette case is in very good condition with normal wear due to age and measures approximately 4" x 3" x .5" deep. Niello is not an enamel, but an alloy containing silver, copper, lead, and sulphur. It is rubbed into an engraving on gold or silver turning the design black. This technique was rarely used after the Renaissance, except in Russia where it remained popular until the end of the 19th century.
