Brocade woven in floss silk and silver and silver-gilt thread. The pattern consists of undulating and twisted bands of foliations in silver, interlaced with scalloped leaves in gold, outlined and veined in red, and crossed by bunches of flowers in white and shades of red and green. The foliations form compartments, which enclose larger bunches of flowers. The pattern is on a gold ground. The brothers Alexander and Vladimir Sapognikoff or Sapozhnikovy were descendents of an ancient Russian merchant dynasty which founded a textile firm in 1836 in Moscow. Gold and silver embroidered textiles produced there won grand-prix and gold medals several times at international and World exhibitions in the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries. In 1852 they became official suppliers of the Russian Imperial court, their textiles being used for upholstery, window curtains and draperies in Imperial palaces and in the mansions of the Russian aristocracy. They also supplied the army with flags and standards, the Russian clergy with fabric for vestments, and the court with ceremonial garments. Sapognikoff silks and gold brocades were well known for elaborate patterns, vibrant colours and superior quality. This piece was probably woven for Brocade on gold ground; Russia; middle of 18th century.