Thank you Jim for exhaustive excursus on historical ways of 'galuchat'. Freebooter partly rights: most of this information known to me, but nevertheless - great maintenance for my pictures (time to think on establishing collective popular edition like Osprey
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I never thought of problem from this side – unfortunately now we have not any information about present of Chinese workmen (especially skilled craftsmen) in Lvov (the system of city production is well studied today). But the distant influence – may be, and first of all in Istanbul that was in close craft and merchant relation with Lvov.
Personally I think that it’s local Lvov’ work – a lot of well-known European and Armenian silversmiths works there (also in Istanbul). Especially as the technology of such production was not complicate – much harder must be the process of necessary stamp (template) making.
The tsar’ sabers were made in the oldest, most authoritative and powerful on that time armory of Moscow Kremlin. Tula and several other armory centers (more of youngest Zlatoust) are not related with our subject – we speak about specific samples and techniques.
The arms &armor production and the most of medieval Moscow craftsmen are well-known too today. For example we know about Iranian workmen, who were sent to Russia by Persian Shahs and worked in Orujeinaja Palata till the end of their life… But we know nothing about Chinese workmen there.
Anyway, thanks for detailed post and for creative thoughts also.