Loving cup or bratina (Brother Cup).
Workshops of the Moscow Kremlin, 17th century.
Gilded, chased, and incised silver.
Many kinds of vessels in ancient Russia were typically national in style. During feasts, the tables were laden with goblets, winebowls, ladles, cups, and invariably, bratinas - literally 'brother cups'. These rounded loving cups were filled with mead and passed down the line from elder brother to younger, Hence the name. Made of silver and gold, these cups were strongly influenced, both in form and decoration, by traditions of folk art, and they closely resemble the clay pots which were found in every peasant household.
Most often, the loving cups were chased with intricate floral designs, triangles, scales, and flourishes. The ornament suited the vessel's form quite well and emphasized its beauty. Inscriptions giving the name of the cup's owner or some amusing moral complete the decoration.
The present footed loving cup is forged of silver, gilded, and chased with a complex design of rhombuses filled with flourishes which skilfully emphasize the roundness of the vessel The rim bears an incised floral ornament and the inscription: "The bratina of Tarasevich Gramotin". Gramotin was scribe of the Ambassadorial Office in the 17th century.
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Macro 2:
