Pair of Silver Cups “The Priest and Balda” – Pushkin Series, 925 Silver Gold-Plated Inside with Niello

A workman who works for three flicks on the forehead a year, a priest who wants to save on wages, and a little devil who lets himself be fooled by a rope: Pushkin’s tale of the priest and his workman Balda is the cheeky sister of the tales series. The pair of cups in 925 silver, gold-plated inside, takes it with a wink: a gift for people with a sense of satire, for collectors and for hosts who want to laugh when they raise a glass.

Balda before the priest, Balda at the sea

On the first cup Balda stands before the priest, on the second he sits at the water, beside him the little devil with horns. The scenes are worked out in the manufactory right down to the bast shoes and sit in oval fields between floral work. Gold shimmers inside and on the rim, while below the foot stays plainly silver.

Cheap workman, expensive lesson

The priest looks for a worker who costs almost nothing and finds Balda: a year of work for three flicks on the forehead. Balda toils for seven, and the priest grows afraid at the thought of payment. He sends the workman to the devils to collect rent. Balda lures the little devil onto the water, defeats him with cunning and a rope, and has the sack of money carried for him. In the end the wages are paid out in flicks; the lesson is part of the tale itself: whoever looks for cheap labour pays dearly. The silver cutlery The Priest and Balda also tells this punchline onward.

Niello meets humour

That even a cheeky story holds up in silver is shown by the niello technique: lines are engraved into the metal, filled with black mass and polished, so that a picture arises as from an old book, only permanent. Veliky Ustyug has been documented as a place of niello art since 1683. The gold medal of Paris 1937 went to the Artel Severnaya Chern of the time for tableware with Pushkin tale motifs. How the graver is guided is described in our journal.

For people with dry humour

The pair suits the milestone birthday of a friend with humour, as a luxury gift for men, for an anniversary among colleagues or as a business gift for connoisseurs of Russian poetry. A silver wedding anniversary can take satire too, especially when both know Balda. The case for six people lays the table for it.

Briefly asked about the pair of cups The Priest and Balda

What is this tale about?
About a miserly priest and a clever workman who outwits devils and employer. The tone is more mocking than in most of the others; more stories are in the collection Pushkin’s Tales in Niello Silver.

Is gold-plated the same as gold?
No, it is a thin layer of gold on 925 silver, here on the rim and inside.

How do I care for niello silver?
Rinse by hand, dry, polish softly. Not in the dishwasher, no silver dip, no baking soda, no aluminium foil. More on this in the niello guide.

Can I add a dedication of my own?
Yes. Simply order the engraving service along with it and write in the “order note at checkout” field what you have in mind. Whether and how the engraving works, we check afterwards with SevChern; if it is not feasible, you get the flat fee back. A greeting without engraving is available as a SilberVerse, created for the occasion and names, free on request.