The Tula Arms Factory was founded in 1712 and became the main centre of Russian arms production, but by the end of the 18th Century, many experienced masters from the Moscow Armoury had moved to Tula and developed a unique method of working steel for the production of highly elaborate works of art. For similar works to the above see M. Malchenko, Art Objects in Steel by Tula Craftsmen (Leningrad, 1974)