Fine silver gilt filigree long chain

A fine silver gilt filigree long chain.

Russian, 18th century.

Measures 89cm in overall length.

Weighs 27.5 grams.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Russian men and women of all ranks wore long chains of heavy silver filigree. Russian filigree chains are usually made from scrolls of wire soldered together side by side to make individual links. This chain has links of two scrolls each, but wide chains can have as many as eight. Some chains were purely decorative, but most carried religious, devotional pendants.

The last two images of similar chains, which date to the 18th century are from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Accession numbers; 135-1866 and 134-1866.