Creamer 925 silver gilt Niello — Botanica

Milk Jug 925 Sterling Silver Gilt — Niello Lotus Blossoms, 180 ml

77 mm diameter, 97 mm wide, 78 mm high, 187 g, 180 ml. A milk jug that doesn't sit on the table like a utilitarian object — it sits there like an argument. The argument that this table is taken seriously. The handle is fully gilded — warm gold that guides the hand. The rim and spout are gilded — a golden line that finishes the top and front. The interior is fully gilded, visible as soon as you look inside. And the body features a wide niello band: lotus blossoms, tendrils, dense leaves, melted into the matte silver in deep black. This is no accidental triad — gold, black, silver. This is intentional.

This jug holds 180 ml — enough for milk or cream for coffee for two people, for condensed milk, for honey, for a small coffee course at the beginning or end of a dinner. Not a volume for the table, a volume for the moment.

Gold, Black, and Silver — the Triad of this Jug

Most gilded silver pieces are either fully gilded or have gold as a narrow accent. This jug does something different: the gilding is precisely where the hand touches the piece and where the eye first goes — handle, rim, spout, interior. The rest of the body remains silver, matted, calm. And precisely there, in the body area, sits the niello band: deep black on bright matte silver, framed by narrow silver rings at the top and bottom.

This triad is no coincidence. The warm gold highlights the niello black. The niello black highlights the matte silver. The matte silver holds both together. Each tone needs the other two — none works alone. What emerges is an object that you don't grasp at a glance, but rather turn, hold, look at. A piece that takes time and gives time.

The Lotus Blossom Ornament — Niello Hand Engraving from Veliky Ustyug

The niello ornamental band shows large-flowered lotus blossoms — multi-part flower heads with dense leaves and tendrils, embedded in the classic plant pattern of the Veliky Ustyug school. The engravers of SevChern have drawn every line of this pattern into the silver with a burin. Then niello — a black metal alloy of silver, copper, lead, and sulfur — was placed into the depressions, fired at high temperature, forming a chemical bond with the base silver. Exposed, polished, finished. What remains is insoluble: not applied, not coated — part of the metal.

SevChern, founded in 1933, is the only active guardian of this technique in its complete traditional form. The manufactory in Veliky Ustyug — a city where niello silver has been produced since the 17th century — today produces pieces that are not created in any other part of the world. The lotus blossom motif on this jug is part of this repertoire: an ornament that generations of engravers have cultivated and that sits here on a piece you can hold in your hand.

At the Coffee Table, at the Tea Ceremony, and as a Wedding Gift

A silver jug on the coffee table changes the coffee table. Not because the coffee tastes different — but because the gesture of pouring becomes different. You lift the jug by the gilded handle. You pour through the gilded spout. The guest sees the niello band and the gold. This is not a grand staging — it is a small one that lasts.

As a wedding gift, this jug is a statement with two colors: gold as the color of the "I do," silver as the color of permanence. A piece that a couple has on their breakfast table and will still have in thirty years. For a golden wedding anniversary — the gold has been the same for decades. For a birthday for someone who takes a set table seriously. As a corporate gift for business partners at the highest level: 925 silver, gilding, niello hand engraving — fully hallmarked, fully authentic.

In the display cabinet, the jug stands as a collector's item — alongside other SevChern pieces, as part of an ensemble built around niello and gilding. The gilded interior captures the light, the niello holds it back. Both simultaneously on one piece.

Engraving, SilberVerse Card & Care

The base of the jug offers space for a personal engraving — a date, initials, a phrase. For a gift that someone will have on their table for decades, this is the right addition: visible only to the one who turns the piece over. Specify your engraving request when ordering.

Upon request, we will include a personal SilberVerse card in photo format (10x15 cm) — individually designed, suitable for the occasion, currently free of charge.

Care: Hand wash only with lukewarm water and mild dish soap. No dishwasher, no silver dip — both attack the gilding. Never treat the gilded surfaces — handle, rim, interior — with abrasive cleaners. The niello band is fused and permanent; normal cleaning will not harm it. You can gently refresh the matted silver body with a soft silver polishing cloth. Store in the gift box.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the jug gilded?
Four areas are gilded: the entire interior, the rim/lip at the top, the spout, and the handle completely. The outer body — the belly area with the niello band — is matted silver without gilding. This deliberate division creates the triad of gold (applications), black (niello), and silver (body).

Is the jug suitable for hot liquids?
Yes — 925 silver is food-safe and temperature-stable. The gilded interior tolerates hot milk, cream, and other hot liquids without problems. For very hot preparations, it is recommended to briefly pre-warm with hot water so that the silver absorbs the temperature evenly. Then hold the jug by the gilded handle — silver conducts heat well.

What does "fully gilded inside" mean?
The entire interior — bottom and walls — is covered with a rich layer of gold and highly polished. This is not a thin decorative coating, but gilding on solid 925 silver. Visible as soon as you look into the jug from above: warm gold instead of silver. Care instructions: no silver dip, as this attacks the gilding.

Can I combine the jug with other Botanica pieces?
Yes — the milk jug is part of the Botanica collection by SevChern. All pieces feature the same gold-niello design: teapot (SW10178, 500 ml), tea set for 6 people (SW10205), cup (SW10145, 85 ml), saucer (SW10162), sugar bowl (SW11640, 270 ml), and coffee spoon (SW10420). Sugar spoons and lemon forks are also available and are included free of charge when ordering a complete service. Contact us when ordering — we will coordinate the ensemble.

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