The firm of Pavel Ovchinnikov one of the first began to produce “richly enameled objects in the old Russian style”: kovshes, plates, cups, bratinas, and chests. An example is a silver-gilt casket, which combines cloisonné and painted enamels to create a harmonious major chord. The accentuated decorativeness of the object, with the coats of arms of the cities of the Ryazan region and the applied raised Imperial crown in the center of the lid, are explained by the commemorative nature of the work.
It might have been made for the eight hundredth anniversary of Ryazan, capital of a province whose symbol was a warrior with a sword in his hand. The painted coats of arms of the ancient cities are surrounded by an arabesque of small filigree ornaments of exquisite design filled with multicolored but not motley enamel.