The Chinoiserie style first became fashionable in Europe in the second half of the 17th century. Despite geographical proximity and trade with China, it wasn’t until the end of the 18th century that Russia began borrowing from East-Asian motifs, mostly due to Russia’s fascination, not with Chinese, but with French styles. Chinoiserie decoration, which imitated Chinese art and imagery, was popular in Russia for a short time during the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796), and was often combined with French Rococo and other European motifs.
Feodor Yartsev, the maker of this set was a contract silversmith based in Moscow whose work was retailed by both Klebnikov and Ovchinnikov.
