Featured Russian silverware

Can anyone assist? I have a silver salt by Gustav Sohlman (I believe). I am trying to translate the enamel inscription around the side. Pictures h/w. Any thoughts too, concerning the heraldic motive?
Many thanks

 

There are quite a few Russian heraldic symbols on this link:

Russian heraldic motiffs - Bing images

If you click on the text next to the picture it will take you to a full of them page on Pinterest.

 

Aren't those letters in the Cyrillic alphabet? We need a Russian language translator.

@Figtree3 @Natasha

 

I believe that is an older script than I am familiar with. Church Slavonic? Not sure. @April07 may know. You already tagged @Natasha , and there are others. And thanks for the tag!

 

Thanks for adding April07 Fig! . I knew there was another person but couldn't remember.

 

It's prereform Russian, stylized as older scrypt.
Без хлеба, без соли - половина обеда.
Without bread, without salt - half of the lunch

 

Attention @chalkway9 A translation has been provided!

 

Very well done!

 

Thank you! Now I know that if I had looked at it more carefully I might have figured it out. I just saw the style and didn't really try to make out the letters. You will always be faster at it than I, anyway.

 

Beautiful, chalkway.

Would this have been used in a welcome ceremony, with the bread and salt reference?

 

The "bread and salt" tradition is a means of hospitality due to the bread being the most respected food in Russia and the salt means long friendship. It is associated to a Russian saying “to eat a food of salt (together with someone)”. Historically, the Russian Empire had a high salt tax.
A "salt" is often placed into the centre of a loaf of bread. It is a Russian tradition still used today at wedding ceremonies for example.

 

That is exactly why I asked April, because I know of the bread and salt welcoming ceremony, since I have experienced it myself as a child.

 

@ritzyvintage , when you quote a text, could you please post the link or at least mention the source? That way you give credit to the person who really wrote it, and others can research it for themselves if they want to.

There have been several threads where the subject of correct quoting was brought up before, but that was before you joined, so I don't expect you to have read them.
It is common practice to quote correctly though.
I know many on the www present texts as their own, but here we would rather do the right thing. Especially since quite a few of us have had our texts or images 'stolen', and know how it feels.

 

I guess that "bread" is a tradition/symbolic in many countries. "Give us today our daily bread..." for example. Salt, has also been a major/valuable commodity through the centuries, particularly in Eastern Europe.

 

True.

 

Some of my text is my own, gained over many years of research. I expect that some of yours is too. I'm also very aware of having photo's etc. stolen. I mentioned it when I first joined and have subsequently watermarked my images. The information that I provide gives food for thought and allows others to do their own specific research should they want to, however you will also note that I do in fact add links as and when I consider them to be useful.

 

I was called away and forgot to add:
Give us today our daily bread can also be seen as having a metaphysical meaning. Not the actual bread, but the spiritual bread, Christ, as symbolized by the holy communion.
In short, a sacred blessing today and throughout our lives.

 

Btw, this has the same spelling and meaning and on Serbian language.

 

That's an old Russian proverb. Another version is "Without bread, without salt - half of conversation." It surely refers to the idea of hospitality but also to bread and salt as basic products in Russian cuisine. I don't think this salt bowl was intended to be used on the top of a welcome bread, it's rather designed to resemble folk style.