Russian zolotnik 84 - Drinking set (2) - .925 silver

Vintage antique Imperial Russian brand 84 sterling silver shot glass / vodka glass (1800). Pair of Russian silver vodka glasses with hand engravings.
Glass measurements: 4.3 cm height, 3.5 cm diameter, weight for the pair 37 g.

Russian silverware was traditionally produced by master artisans and major manufactories located mainly in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. These small glasses arose at the end of the 19th century to serve vodka at traditional banquets and popular celebrations. The work was usually done by hand using scribe engraving and the niello technique on 84 zolotnik silver.

Such objects were used in bourgeois and aristocratic homes during receptions and traditional festivities. They were jealously kept in display cabinets and used exclusively on special occasions to welcome guests with fine liqueurs. With the historical changes of the 20th century and mass industrial production, the use of these refined handcrafted pieces was gradually abandoned.