www.925-1000.com

Hi,

If this strange silvergilt sifter is genuine, who could be the maker? Could it be I.B = Iwan Wichljajew (1804-1818), number 612 in Verzeichnis der Russischen Gold- und Silbermarken? I have no reason to doubt it, but I become very cautious with Russian silver. So, with a little bit of doubt, I better ask the forum.

Regards,

Zilverik

Ivan Vihjajev was an official assayer in Moscow at the mentioned time. That means that he was forbidden to work for anybody else, himself included. He could not therefore make anything. It is important to separate assayers from masters. The Cyrillic IB(Latin IV) mark in connection with the year 1813 is the assayer's mark not the master.
However, the master's mark below the assayer's mark looks like ИБ, ИВ, ИЕ or ? I cannot see it good enough, what is the last letter? I'm not with my library at the moment and cannot check anything but I will revert to you tomorrow evening unless somebody else manages to clear the master before that....no guarantees given :-)))

Ah forgot to mention. To me your item looks more like a tea strainer than a sugar sifter because at that time the holes where more often drilled in a tea strainer and not saw as in a sugar sifter, but...a matter of opinion as usual I would say...

Hi Qrt.S,

Thank you for your response. With my loup I see a ИЕ orИF.
The inside feels ruff. It feels drilled from the outside. For a sugarcaster it is small compared to for example the French sugarcasters. On the other side, for a teastrainer it is big. The biggest teastrainer I have ever seen. Nearly 18 cm long.

Regards,

Zilverik

Hi zilverik -

Townmark: Moscow
Assayer: Vichljajev Ivan 1802-1818 on duty, silver content 84 zolotniki (875/1000)
Maker: I can not find one fitting in the year 1813 and one with this letter(s)



This is a nice, rare and authentic tea strainer, which needs some care :-)

Regards
Zolotnik

Hi Zolotnik and Qrt.S,

Thank you very much for your information. I will bring some more dubious Russian objects. One of them, a big deep plate, I brought in the "Family Crest" forum, because of the crest and that turned out to be Polish with a Russian mark.

Regards,

Zilverik

No problem Zilverik, you're welcome. However, it is afternoon and I have access to my library. I have checked every alternative regarding the master's mark being ИБ, ИВ or ИЕ. I have got one hit; a master in Moscow by the name of I. Jefimov 1790-1814. Unfortunately I know nothing more about him.

Hi Qrt.S,

Thank you very much!

Regards,

Zilverik