Maria Semeonova

(1896 - 1917)

In 1896 Maria inherited the company founded by his father Vasilij Semionovich Semionov in 1852 and she was entitled to enter her own mark, ‘MS’ in Cyrillic.

Under Maria’s direction and thanks to a skilled team of craftsmen the company flourished, by 1905 it counted 100 employees.

Her workshop was well-known for the outstanding quality of its enamelled artworks, mostly in the traditional Russian style, although Art Nouveau influences are evident in later pieces. It produced mainly small enamelled objects, especially spoons and kovshs, typically in violet, green and white tones and often decorated with round turquoise pearls.

Although she never held the Imperial warrant, Semeonova’s workshop supplied important firms in Moscow and St. Petersburg such as Fabergé.