Khokhloma

Khokhloma painted wooden ware originated in the Russian village of that name (Volga region) at the turn of the 17th century. Khokhloma painting is distinguished by resplendent colours and a whole set of traditional floral patterns. Khokhloma ware, which includes dinner services, sets for kvass and pancakes, decorative bowls and dishes, scoops and spoons, articles…

SAMOVAR COOKER. Second half of the 19th cent. Novikov’s factory. Nizhni-Novgorod Province Dark copper. Ht. 43.5 cm. State Russian Museum

The samovar cooker shaped as a cauldron was invented at some earlier date. Several specimens have survived from the mid-18th century. In the 19th century samovar cookers were also produced at samovar factories. This type of cooker was a great convenience. It had three compartments and could be used to prepare three dishes at a…

SAMOVAR. Second half of the 19th cent. Nickel-plated. Ht. 39.5 cm. State Russian Museum

The cube-shaped variety of samovars, well suited for transportation purposes, proved long-lived. Travelling samovars of this type continued to be made throughout the whole of the 19th century. However, the specimens produced in the second half of the century, as compared with earlier types, are distinguished by somewhat heavier proportions, a different treatment of details,…

SBITENNIK. Second half of the 18th cent. Nizhni-Novgorod Province Copper, patinated reddish-brown. Ht. 32 cm. State Museum of the Ethnography of the Peoples of the Russia

The “sbitennik”, shaped somewhat like a kettle but provided with an internal heat-pipe, was an early form of “self-boiler”, which preceded the samovar. It was used for making and keeping hot the “sbiten”, a most popular Russian drink of mead boiled with sage, St. John’s-wort and spices. This drink was sold by sbiten-vendors right in…

SAMOVAR. Second half of the 19th cent. Factory of Vorontsov Brothers. Tula Brass. Ht. 38 cm. State Russian Museum

This small samovar, with its happy proportions, elegant outline, and the quiet yellow tone of the metal, is rather attractive than striking. The Vorontsovs owned two large samovar factories at Tula, one belonging to Vorontsov Brothers, and the other, to Vorontsov Heirs. The staff of the factories amounted to about three hundred workmen.