Topic: 18th century gilded engraved monogrammed miniature egg Russian - help please

[flying free]

I'm looking for confirmation of my thoughts please.  They are based on some research not just plucked out of thin air but thought I'd ask for help before adding references and further thoughts.

It measures 2 3/8" long by about 1 1/2" wide.
I've added three sets of photos which should hopefully give enough detail.

Thanks for any input which is much appreciated.
m

[flying free]

detail pics of design

[flying free]

close ups of details

[Antwerp1954]

Russian? - it may be but the wrting is written in Latin script. Does any hand writing expert know what sort of date this type of script date from? The letters are MT I think. Was it given by someone to their beloved?

[flying free]

I believe the letters are MF and not MT
The birds holding the ribbons have one section of ribbon because the other strike belongs to the cross strike of the F.
I have a theory on what it might be, but of course, it might not.

What I would like to know is does the glass quality, the engraving quality and design and the engraved pontil mark fit with a late 18th century piece please?  Having checked out a number of 18th century goblets I thought it did.

These are listed as 18th
https://www.bukowskis.com/en/auctions/556/1386-two-swedish-wine-glasses-kungsholm-s-18th-century


Since it is an egg and therefore has no special shape or applied bits to go on, it's a bit difficult on all the other bits i.e. rim/ stem/foot etc that would normally help.
Thank you for looking and if I can add more photos that might help please let me know.
m

[flying free]

here is a clear closeup of the bird on the right.  Very difficult to photograph because it is so tiny and because the gilding reflects or is worn off so makes it look as though it's messy when it isn't.
The bird has a minute three feather plume on it's head as well. 

It's very different to the bird on a kluk kluk flasche I have also attached for comparison.

[flying free]

The egg may or not be Russian.  My thoughts are that it is. 
I also think the egg is written in Latin.


This is what Wiki says about Russian Cursive:
'Russian (and Cyrillic in general) cursive was developed during the 18th century on the base of earlier Cyrillic tachygraphy,[2] re-shaped under the influence of contemporary Latin-based cursives.[3] It became handwritten counterpart of so-called civil (or Petrine) script of printed books. In order, modern Cyrillic italic typefaces are based (in their lowercase part) mostly on the cursive shape of letters.
The Latin influence on the Russian cursive resulted in numerous characters that are similar or completely identical to Latin ones'.

m

[flying free]

Any help much appreciated

I'm thinking this is possibly c. 1780 ish for a specific reason.

Could it be earlier?  or is that out of the question because of the script does anyone know?

Thank you for looking
m

[flying free]

This krug is dated 1764.
It has similarities in the choice of design i.e. the garden theme, the criss cross decoration and the birds, so perhaps I am in the ball park on the date.
http://www.antiquitaeten-schlemmer.de/glas/glas-18-jh.htm#objekt3
http://www.antiquitaeten-schlemmer.de/gross/glas-hochzeitskrug.htm
http://www.antiquitaeten-schlemmer.de/glas/assets/glas-hochzeitskrug_gr.jpg

and this Beilby glass dates to c.1760 and also has a pyramidal obelisk on it although enamelled.
http://www.laurieleighantiques.com/picturepages/W1398.html

The birds are perhaps supposed to be turtle doves but would they have crests?

Re the script style, this Lauenstein glass has a letter P engraved in a similar style to the MF on the egg
http://www.warnerantiques.com/index.pl?isa=Metadot::SystemApp::AntiqueSearch;op=detail;id=215354;image=805055;

So the pontil mark, the gilding and engraving and the design, and the script style of the lettering, as well as the quality of the glass all seem to be around that period to my very untrained
eye.

Any comments welcome

m

[KevinH]

The birds are perhaps supposed to be turtle doves but would they have crests?

They do not have a crest.