Product Description
Russian Costume (Русский Костюм). An extravagant hot enamel on copper plaque with suspended bars top and bottom of a medieval Russian noblewoman. This scarce piece weighs 1½ pounds. The enamel portion is 11¼" x 5½", and the top and bottom bars tack on another 3" combined. There is a bit of unobtrusive crazing at the bottom right and some enamel loss where the rings go through at the bottom. On the back, some of the copper has oxidized aroound a paper label which is indecipherable, and was covered by plastic tape. An unusual piece that we have rarely seen. 1 only, as shown.
These types of Russian souvenirs were made with the support of The All-Russian Society for the Protection of Monuments of History and Culture, or VOOPIIK (Всероссийское общество охраны памятников истории и культуры (ВООПИиК)) - a public organization, which was established in the RSFSR in 1965 and continues to work in modern-day Russia. One of its production centers, in Moscow, was the Экспериментальный творческо-производственный комбинат Всероссийского общества охраны памятников истории и культуры «Русский сувенир» (ЭТПК). These Experimental Production Plants were responsible for making the ubiquitous pins known as "znachki", as well as many Olympic souvenirs.
