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, m ...

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

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) 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 pinkish-orang ...

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 Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of Russ ...

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 (; North American English, NA: ) is a fusible alloy, 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 aft ...

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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. These sites not only manufactured skan's, but also household items such as delicate vases, coasters, miniature sculptures and such.

References

{{Reflist The

Great Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; , ''BSE'') 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 ''Great Russian Enc ...

, 3rd edition. Jewellery making Crafts