[0.875 SILVER] Soviet Russia, 20th century, 1966 — Two Teaspoons with Floral Decorations in Niello, Tableware, Everyday Life, Cutlery.

[0.875 SILVER – NIELLO – SOVIET RUSSIA – VELIKIY USTYUG – “SEVERNAYA CHERN” – 1966] Two silver teaspoons with elaborate floral decoration
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Veliky Ustyug, 1966. The Veliky Ustyug “Severnaya Chern” Factory (Russian: Великоустюгская фабрика «Северная чернь»). 875 silver, niello, engraving, and partial gilding. A set of two spoons with a uniform shape and similar decoration.
Weight: 57 g.
Dimensions: 141 mm.
The spoons have elongated handles that gently widen toward the ends and spacious, oval bowls. The outer surfaces of the bowls are covered with elaborate floral decoration executed using the niello technique. The compositions consist of large, multi-petaled flowers resembling roses or peonies, surrounded by smaller flowers, buds, leaves, and thin, winding stems. The motifs are arranged asymmetrically yet maintain a decorative balance.
Dark niello fills the outlines, shaded areas, and the fine grid forming the ornament’s background. The petals and leaves, left in their natural silver color, stand out clearly against the black background. Precise incisions create a chiaroscuro effect, giving the flowers a three-dimensional appearance. The decoration on the ladle bowls is framed by a thin line running along the edges.
The handles are adorned with long bands of floral ornamentation. On the side facing the decorated ladle bowls, motifs of twigs, leaves, and flowers extend nearly the entire length of the handles, widening at the rounded ends. On the reverse sides, the ornamentation is limited to elongated panels located in the lower sections of the handles. The interiors of the ladles are smooth and gilded; the warm, golden surface contrasts with the cool silver and the black of the decoration.
Two hallmarks are stamped on the ends of the handles: the factory mark “СЧ6” and the state hallmark featuring the letter “М,” a five-pointed star with a hammer and sickle, and the number “875.” The “СЧ6” mark identifies the Velikoustiuskaya “Severnaya Chern” Factory and dates the items to around 1966. The corresponding mark is listed in Russian goldsmith’s hallmarks catalogs as the mark used by this manufacturer specifically in 1966. The letter “М” in the state hallmark indicates the Moscow assay office, while the number “875” specifies a silver content of 875 parts per 1,000 parts of alloy.
Niello, also known in Polish as “czernia,” is an ancient metal-decorating technique. Indentations carved into the silver were filled with a dark mixture of metal sulfides, after which the surface was heated, ground, and polished. This created a durable, deep black design that contrasted sharply with the silver or gilded background.
From the 17th century onward, Veliky Ustyug was one of Russia’s most important centers of goldsmithing specializing in blackening. In the 20th century, local traditions were carried on by the “Severnaya Chern” factory, which produced silver jewelry, tableware, and cutlery adorned with precise niello ornamentation. The factory is still in operation and remains connected to the historic goldsmithing center in Veliky Ustyug.
The set is a representative example of postwar Soviet artistic goldsmithing, combining the traditional Veliky Ustyug niello technique with the decorative style of the second half of the 20th century. The identical marking “СЧ6” and the corresponding combination of 875-fine silver, niello, and gilding are found on the factory’s products dated 1966.
Condition: as shown in the photos.