Perevörtischi Gold Oak 925 Silver Niello — 3-piece set with stand

Three footless cups in a polished silver stand. This is no design accident - it's a Perevörtischi tradition dating back to the court of Peter the Great. Perevörtish means "the inverted one": You drink it empty, turn the cup upside down, and place it on its rim. If nothing spills out, you have drunk honestly. That's how sincerity among friends works - proven in a gesture, not in words.

The Oak Motif – Strength and Loyalty in Niello and Gold

All three cups and the stand feature the same ornament: oak leaves and acorns, crafted in niello hand-engraving on polished 925 silver, with the leaf surfaces gilded in fine gold. In Slavic tradition, the oak was the sacred tree of the thunder god Perun – a symbol of strength, courage, endurance, and loyalty. Russians called it the "Tsar-Oak," the first of all trees. On a Perevörtish cup, the oak is not a random ornament: it speaks of strength that does not hide. Green gemstones (likely chrysoprase) are set at the conical tips of the cups – a color accent that adds a fourth dimension to the black-silver-gold of the niello.

Three Cups, One Stand – The Ritual for Closest Friends

Three is a special number at the Russian table. Three friends. Three brothers. Father and two sons. Three business partners who built something together. This set is for a group small enough to be honest. You pour, give a toast, drink empty – and turn it over. The stand with its elegant trumpet foot receives the three cups upside down. The set has a total weight of 431.5 g and compact dimensions (W 132 × H 119 mm) – solid, weighty, substantial in the hand. Not a toy, but a ritual object.

We tell the detailed history of the Perevörtischi – from Peter the Great to Caucasian drinking horns to European tilting cups – in our blog: Perevörtischi – Why you shouldn't put down your cup in Russia.

SevChern from Veliky Ustyug – 340 Years of Niello Craftsmanship

The set comes from the SevChern manufactory in Veliky Ustyug, one of Russia's three major niello centers (alongside Tula and Kubachi in the Caucasus). 340 years of tradition, officially recognized as Russian folk art. Each piece undergoes 15 steps – hand engraving, niello inlay at 800 degrees, gilding, polishing. The gemstones are individually set. Slight differences between the three cups are not a flaw, but the silversmith's signature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Perevörtischi?
Russian shot glasses without a flat bottom – you can't put them down before you've drunk them empty. The tradition dates back to Peter the Great. "Перевёртыш" means "the inverted one". In detail: The History of Perevörtischi.

Is the set also suitable for display or only for drinking?
Both. For storage, the three cups are placed upside down in the stand – it looks just as impressive as a display piece as it does on the table. With 431g and the oak-niello ornament, it is an exhibition object with a function.

Are Perevörtischi also available for larger groups?
Yes – our 6-piece set with onion domes is for six people. For two: the 2-piece double goblet set.