Bidspirit auction | First Moscow Artel

First Moscow Artel - Saint Nicholas.. Year:  Early 20th century. Technique:  84-karat silver, wood, gesso, gilding. Size:  17 x 14 cm. Icon case 25 x 21 cm. Descripton:  Inscription: ”To our dear and beloved Commander Plotitsyn, from the enlisted men of the 10th Company of the 72nd Tula Regiment. May the Lord protect you, who served in the army from 1892 to 1914.” First Moscow Artel (1899-1917) A renowned Russian jewelry and silversmith association of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It initially existed as the First Moscow Silver Craft Artel (”1M.S.R.A.”) from 1899 to 1908, and after 1908, it was transformed into the First Moscow Artel. The artel's artisans created highly artistic silverware, including icon frames, icon cases, vases, tableware, and jewelry.