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…
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…
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.
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.
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…
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.
The State Russian Museum shares with the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow the fame of the richest treasure-house of national art. The museum was opened in 1898. Exposed to view here are paintings, sculptures, drawings as well as works of folk-art and applied arts; extending over the period from the 10th century up to the…