Jug, of translucent cream-coloured milk glass, splashed with brownish-red, blue and turquoise. Ht. 16.8 cm. Catalonia. 18th century
The Hermitage Museum
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…
DetailsSAMOVAR. Early 20th cent. M. A. Gretsov’s factory. Tula Nickel-plated. Ht. 26 cm. State Russian Museum
This miniature samovar is an exact replica of a large-size one both in shape and construction. It may be used to heat three glassfuls of water.
SAMOVAR. First half of the 19th cent. Brass. Ht. 30 cm. State Russian Museum
The choice of shapes and sizes was determined not only by aesthetic ideas but also by considerations of convenience. Samovars intended for use on a journey were of medium size, and had the form of a cube or of an octagonal prism. The curved legs were removable. They could be easily and securely fitted into…
DetailsSAMOVAR 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…
DetailsSAMOVAR. 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,…
DetailsKETTLE-SHAPED SAMOVAR. End of the 19th cent.— beginning of the 20th cent. Sheet brass. Ht. 29 cm. Private collection. Saint Petersburg
Alongside with big factories, there existed, In Tula and other Russian towns, numerous artisans’ shops which also produced samovars. This craftsman followed the pattern of the convenient 18th century kettle-shaped type.
SAMOVAR. First half of the 19th cent. Vasili Lomov’s factory. Tula Brass. Ht. 38.5 cm. State Russian Museum
The reputation of the town and government of Tula as the leading centre of samovar production was firmly established in the second half of the 18th century. At first dozens, and later hundreds of factories and shops, both large and small, worked in this area, vying with each other in the technical and artistic perfection…
DetailsSBITENNIK. 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…
DetailsSAMOVAR. Seventies of the 19th cent. Brass. Ht. 38 cm. (without the funnel) State Russian Museum
The samovar shaped as the figure of a cock, with decoration imitating ornamental motives carved in wood, illustrates the prevailing pseudo-Russian taste of the period. The execution is remarkable for painstaking accuracy and a loving attention to detail.
ELECTRIC SAMOVAR. 1958 Nickel-plated. Ht. 45 ст. Factory of Electric Appliances. Saint Petersburg
The generalized contour, the pleasant flowing lines, and the contrasting combination of black plastic handles with the nickel-plated surface, give a modern look to this specimen which retains, in its form, every essential feature of a samovar.
SAMOVAR. Early 20th cent. The Batashovs’ Factory. Tula Nickel-plated. Ht. 40 cm. State Russian Museum
Turnip-shaped samovars were in vogue in the early part of the present century. The tap was generally made in branch form. The factories owned by the Batashovs were among the largest and most famous in Russia. The first of them was founded in 1840.
SAMOVAR. Early 20th cent. Copper. Ht. 49 cm. State Russian Museum
The samovar came into use in Russia in the mid-18th century. Early specimens often resembled vases in shape. The laws of the style dominant in decorative applied art of the period influenced their proportions, ornamentation and even certain structural details. The samovar with an egg-shaped body upheld by curved rods, the whole resting on a…
DetailsSAMOVAR. Early 20th cent. V. P. Pushkov’s factory. Moscow Nickel-plated. Ht. 57 cm. State Museum of the Ethnography of the Peoples of the RUSSIA
Samovars with the cylindrical body were probably the most widespread variety in the early part of the present century. They were easy to make, and their production cost was considerably lower than that of other types.
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.
SAMOVAR. Thirties to forties of the 19th cent. Silvered brass. Ht. 57.5 cm. State Russian Museum
In the somewhat affected elegance of its shape and ornamental details (curved handles decorated with rams’ heads, curiously undulating figures of dolphins adorning the tap), this specimen approaches the Eclectic style in applied arts. The high technical level of workmanship places it among the more expensive productions.
SAMOVAR. Forties of the 19th cent. Sergei Lukyanov’s factory. Tula Brass. Ht. 47.8 cm. State Museum of the Ethnography of the Peoples of the RUSSIA
This samovar is remarkable for its shape, which imitates that of a «krater», a vessel used in ancient Greece for mixing wine and water. The form of the «krater» frequently occurs in porcelain, crystal glass and hardstone vases of the period.
SAMOVAR. Forties of the 19th cent. Work of Rodion Kiselyov. Tula Copper. Ht. 56 cm. State Russian Museum
Samovars with the maker’s mark are much less common than those with the stamp of the factory owner.- This specimen bears the mark of the master craftsman who produced it, Rodion Kiselyov of Tula. He chose to work in a material of a high decorative quality, in copper. The shape of the samovar is rather…
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