Unknown Maker & Assayer

[svc]

Here is a lovely Russian silver creamer. It is marked with the 1st Kokoshnik mark on the spout and the bottom. Assayer is either Anton Vasilijevitch Richter (Astrakhan 1899-1916) or Aleksandr Vasilyevitch Romanov (Riga 1899 & Warsaw 1899-1904). I believe the maker's initials are "NK" in Cyrilic (or they can also be "HK" in Latin alphabet). I found some makers with the initials "NK" but all these marks looks quite different. Any help would be appreciated

[Goldstein]

Hi svc -
in my opinion St. Petersburg, assayer A. Romanov - maker Nikolaj Kemper 1892-1908
source: PL p.184, #1360

Regards
Goldstein

[svc]

Thank you Goldstein for your response. I thought also that maker is Nikolaj Kemper but I really have some doubts if the maker is identified correctly. At first, it looks like A. Romanov was an assayer in Riga and Warsaw but not in St. Petersburg. But more important that Nikolaj Kemper's mark has no dot between initials. There also makers' marks of Nicholai Karasyen (1886-1899 Vladikavkas), Nicholai Kozin (1898 Kostroma), Nikanon Kosaryev (1898 Kostroma) and couple more marks of unknown makers from Kostroma, Jaroslavl and Astrakhan that are very similar to Nikolaj Kemper's mark but all they have no dot between initials. As you can see in my picture, there is clear dot between initials

[Qrt.S]

As a matter of fact, Aleksandr Vasilijevitsh Romanov did assay in St Petersburg from April 1904 to 1912 (and Moscow 1886-1898). It match with the kokoshnik. I share Goldstein's opininon, but...?

[Goldstein]

Hi svc -
after collecting Russian silver for over 40 years I have seen the marks of many Russian makers in several different versions. It is certainly clear to everyone that the used stamps ( of which there were numerous and in different sizes in each workshop) became unusable in the course of the use and had to be replaced by new ones. In the literature, not all variants are listed - which is understandable: between the publication of a new book and the working period of a silver smith were often decades. That is why it is important not only to recognize the marks but also the quality and style of the respective silversmith. In other words: the possession of the book of Postnikova-Loseva for example does not automatically make you an expert for Russian silver!
Despite all efforts, there will always be unclear decisions and different opinions. But that makes Russian silver so interesting ....

Regards
Goldstein

[svc]

Thank you both for your thoughts. This is exactly what I wanted to know - if there are any experts of Russian silver that can recognize the style and confirm the maker since I'm really not an expert of Russian silver

By the way, I found this information regarding assayer on this website, so I think it would be nice to have this information updated

[svc]

Also there is monogram on the side but I can't figure out what it stands for. MW, WM? Any ideas?