ANTIQUE 88 SILVER GRACHEV RUSSIAN ENAMEL RARE PEDESTAL OPEN SALT CELLAR DIP DISH. This is a lovely little silver Russian made enameled open salt cellar. This one sits on a pedestal foot, which is not a common form. It is colorfully enameled in five different colors (cobalt blue, turquoise, white, red and green) of enamel. This hand enameled in the cloisonné technique for which the Russian craftsmen & craftswomen are so famous for. Areas not enameled are covered in a gold wash or gilding (most of which is no longer there), commonly referred to as vermeil. A very skillfully made, unusual and high quality little salt cellar. This particular set has been in my collection since 1999. The underside of the salt is marked with three marks. One mark is a combination city and standard mark (dvoinik) for the city of St Petersburg and 88 for the silver content (916.6%) which is slightly below sterling. The 88 mark would indicate a higher quality piece than those marked with 84. Of the two remaining marks the mark starting with the letter P is the makers mark for silversmith Gavriil Grachev who worked in the late 19. Century but died in 1873 (this mark is shown on page 7 of the Paulson book mentioned below). Grachevs sons took over the firm after his death and became Grachev Brothers. The other mark appears to be a spread winged eagle which I believe is the Imperial Warrant mark indicating this maker was a supplier to the Russian Imperial Court. I consulted three sources for the information on the marks: the book The Open Salt Compendium by Sandra Jzyk & Nina Robertson, the book Guide to Russian Silver Hallmarks by Paul L Paulson and the website. A fine quality, beautiful and desirable little salt cellar! I do my best to describe all items as accurately as possible and to the best of my ability. Some of my photos may be somewhat lighter or darker than actual to better show detail or color. However, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or with requests for additional pictures. Our store has many unique and interesting items in several different categories from 35 years of our dealing and collecting antiques and collectables. The salt is in very good to excellent original condition. Please look closely at the photos as they are an important part of my description of this item. I see no dents, dings or breaks to the silver. I see no loss or damage to the enamel decoration. Only a small amount of the original gold gilding on the silver remains and there is some tarnish to the silver as well as some minor pitting inside the bowl see the photos. Knowing some collectors prefer the patina I did not try to clean the piece. There are only a few light signs of wear. It is in excellent condition for its age. Please keep in mind these photos may be blown up at least 8-10 times normal, so anything you see will look 8-10 times bigger in the photos than it really is. Please note: if you see a dark spot in the photos it is from my camera and is not a mark on the piece. It will be either just to the right of center towards the bottom or slightly above center on the right side of the photo. The salt is about 2.125 (5.4 cm) in diameter and sits about 1.25 (3.2 cm) off the table. About 1.75 ounces (52 grams). On heavier items I will also offer a less expensive option, if available. The item “ANTIQUE 88 SILVER GRACHEV RUSSIAN ENAMEL RARE PEDESTAL OPEN SALT CELLAR DIP DISH” is in sale since Thursday, July 06, 2017. This item is in the category “Antiques\Silver\Non-U.S. Silver\Other Antique Non-U.S. Silver”. The seller is “rvhound” and is located in Middletown, Ohio. This item can be shipped worldwide.