A Skan' (Old Russian: съкань, ''s''kan''', which is in turn from the verb съкати, ''s''kati'', "twist", "twist into a single or a few strands") is the Russian counterpart of a

filigree Filigree (also less commonly spelled ''filagree'', and formerly written ''filigrann'' or ''filigrene'') is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewellery and other small forms of metalwork. In jewellery, it is usually of gold and silver, ma ...

. It is a kind of jewelry art with a thin layer of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

wire wound in cords or soldered on a metal background. Skan's are often supplemented by tiny silver or gold beads and enamel.

History

In the

Ancient Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

skan' techniques were already used in the 9th to the 10th century. The wire-twisting technique was not yet in use at this time. Instead, grains (tiny beads of silver or gold) were used. Products from the 12th to the 13th centuries are of high quality, with an increasing appearance of

solder Solder (; NA: ) is a fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces. Solder is melted in order to wet the parts of the joint, where it adheres to and connects the pieces after cooling. Metals or alloys suitable ...

ed skan's. Open work and relief patterns appeared in the 12th on steel products with gems. The Moscow skan's' greatest success came in the 15th to the 16th century, and used a variety of materials including gems, enamel, wood, and carved bones. The most famous skan' makers at that time were Ambrosy and Ivan Fomin. Skan's were seen in many art centers of Russia in the 18th to the 19th centuries. It was considered a great work of art, together with small items such as bowls, salt shakers and boxes. They were produced using steel, crystal, and large pearls. Since the 19th century, industrial production of many household items with the use of various technologies have taken the lead, producing dishes, church utensils and toiletries. During the Soviet era, skan's were widely used in the art industry, with production in various sites throughout the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. These sites not only manufactured skan's, but also household items such as delicate vases, coasters, miniature sculptures and such. The renowned contemporary artist-jeweler Malanchuk Yulia continued the tradition of old masters, including decorating skan's with high-valued jewelry and ornaments. She made her name with a delicate copy of Shapk Monomakh for

Sergei Bondarchuk Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk (russian: Сергей Фёдорович Бондарчук, ; uk, Сергі́й Федорович Бондарчук, Serhíj Fédorovych Bondarchúk; 25 September 192020 October 1994) was a Soviet and Russian ...

's "Boris Godunov" film, and is now kept in the museum of

Mosfilm Mosfilm (russian: Мосфильм, ''Mosfil’m'' ) is a film studio which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's film monopoly, its output incl ...

References

{{Reflist The

Great Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; ) is one of the largest Russian-language encyclopedias, published in the Soviet Union from 1926 to 1990. After 2002, the encyclopedia's data was partially included into the later ''Bolshaya rossiyskaya e ...

, 3rd edition. Jewellery making Crafts