Ancient samovars: review, description, cost

For one and a half centuries samovars were an integral part of Russian life. They are a device for boiling water and preparing tea. Initially, the water in them was heated by an internal combustion chamber, which was a tall pipe filled with charcoal. A little later, kerosene, electric and other types of samovars appeared. Now they are almost everywhere replaced by teapots.

Ancient samovars: a bit of history

Today, these ancient devices with exquisite decoration are popular among collectors and simply true connoisseurs.

In Russia tradition of tea drinking, as is known, came from the East, where for the preparation of tea drinks there was a special dish. But the samovar in the form of all the usual device was invented by the Russian masters.

The exact date of appearance of such products is difficult to name, but the peak of their popularity is the 19th century. At this time, many factories were opened throughout the country producing such products. But among them the masters of Tula were especially famous. Manufacturers such as Lisitsyns, Kapyrzins, Lomovs, Shemarins, Gornins, Vorontsovs, Batashevs, Teile and many others were known both in Russia and in Europe.

The first producers of samovars in Tula were the brothers Lisicine, who at the end of the 18th century opened a samovar institution. Their products were famous for their exquisite forms. Also well-known old Tula samovars Lomov, which at that time produced about 1000 items a year.

As a rule, the whole family was engaged in production, and their experience and tools were inherited. That is why one item could have several brands of masters. Tula samovars were made not only directly in Tula itself, but also in its surroundings, but it did not stop to call all samovars from these places Tula.

For the production of copper was originally used (more precisely, the alloy of copper with zinc). But since it was decided to polish these products to a shine, the copper samovar very quickly went out of order. After a while, masters began to use brass and nickel.

Next, we will consider what kind of old samovars and their cost.

Types of structures

By the way of water heating, old samovars are divided into:

• Fires (coal, wood), from which the history of the samovar business actually began. To heat water, you can use almost any wood combustible materials (coal, wood, cones, etc.).
• Electric. Water is heated by means of a heating element. The main advantage is the absence of smoke and soot.
• Combined, combining two types of water heating - from electricity and from the heat of burning fuel.

At the turn of the 19th century, new types of samovars were launched: kerosene, Parichko products and Chernikov's copper devices with a side pipe.

Also, old samovars differ in form. The cheapest are considered to be banks, then the price of a glass, a bowl and then a vase, an egg.

Volume of samovars

The given devices differ on a liter.

The most popular old samovars are coal from 3 to 7 liters. Products less than 3 liters are usually more expensive than their large counterparts, because they are more difficult to manufacture and less common.

Samovars electric are from 1.5 to 3 liters. Large sizes are rare.

Material for manufacturing

Samovars are made from different materials. The most common are brass products, as well as from copper, cupronickel and tombak.

Copper samovars were considered festive, so they are the most expensive. Now sold mostly brass with a copper-coated product, but you can find an antique copper samovar. On sale, brass devices of gold color (they look very smart, but need careful care of their surface) and brass with nickel plated coatings (silvery, look beautiful, but do not require special care) are most often found.

Brass samovars with paintings are also widely spread.

Frying samovars

From the point of view of antiquarian value, samovars on coal, where the main fuel is coal, are most attractive. Since in those days coal was not affordable for everyone, it was often used for firewood, which was laid in the inner tube.

In the environment of antique dealers, ancient samovars on wood are no less in demand. Visually from coal analogues, they are not much different. But true connoisseurs of antiquity will be instantly discerned.

The most valuable are genuine products of the 17th and early 19th centuries, each of which is unique in its own way and is a work of art. The standard of the highest quality of an old samovar is considered to be the stigma of a master.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood samovars

These are real old samovars, and, therefore, you can touch the real Russian tradition of tea drinking, which is almost two hundred years old. Plus heat products - the heated water in them slowly cools.

Among the shortcomings can be identified:

1) Fry samovars of old (the prices for them are very different) need to be heated when they are filled completely with water. If this rule is not followed, they can disintegrate. Therefore, if necessary in a cooled device to heat the water, it is necessary to add more liquid, and only then reheat. However, melt the extinct samovar is not easy, so, most likely, you will not have to top up, but drain the water, remove old fuel, pour in water and melt again.

2) To melt coal samovars it is possible only in open premises, or a pipe to insert into a special hood.

3) Fry samovars are much more expensive than similar electric samovars.

Electric samovars

These products replaced the heat analogs already in the era of developed socialism. By their design they are much simpler and do not have the traditional refinement of shapes and elements. That is why samovars electric have the least collection value.

Advantages and disadvantages of electric samovars

Electric options are more convenient to warm up, and with any volume of water (if only the TEN is covered). They can be used indoors. Most of the electric samovars have a thermoswitch.

The main disadvantage of an electric samovar is that it is not a samovar, but rather an electric kettle of a non-standard form. Here you can not smell the cones or apple twigs. After heating, it will cool faster than the heat, because there are no slowly cooling coals inside it. They can not be used in nature, because there is no electricity.

Combined antique samovars

Since progress does not stand still, buying a combined samovar will be a very successful acquisition, combining the merits of the heat and electric fellows. Melt this device can be wood, and when the water cools down, heat it with electricity. You can use it both in nature and indoors.

The only minus of combined samovars is their cost, which is higher than the wood burning, and an electric version of this volume and shape.

How much does an antique samovar cost?

Those who want to have an old samovar in their house without any problems can buy it in the antique market, which very successfully supplies everyone with such products that differ in appearance, quality, artistic merit, time of manufacture, volume and price. For ordinary customers, unlike collectors, it is difficult to understand all the subtleties, although sometimes even collectors do not know how to evaluate a particular product. After all, for example, only one Tula factory VS Batasheva produced more than 50 shapes and sizes of different samovars, and if you take into account other manufacturers, it's not so easy to determine the price of this popular product.

As we have already said, the cost of ancient samovars can be very different, depending on many factors. And first of all the age of the product is important here (the older it is, the more valuable it is). For example, a device that was released in tsarist times is valued several times more expensive than Soviet counterparts.

Uniqueness of the samovar is also of great importance. Exclusive things, handmade work have always been assessed highly enough, and if the age of the product is also substantial, then it is undoubtedly an antiques. The same can be said about the form.

Another criterion affecting the price of a samovar is the popularity of the manufacturer, the manufacturer's stamp or the brand of the manufacturer. So, for example, an antique samovar with medals is much more expensive. In addition, the safety and artistic value of decorative elements is important.

All samovars can be conditionally divided into 3 categories:

1. Samovars are old (the prices are very different). They are made, as a rule, at the highest artistic level and are made of expensive material. On the antique market, such specimens are infrequent, and the price is determined, as a rule, by the seller. The buyer remains either to buy for this price, or to seek at a different price. The cost of such goods reaches several tens of thousands of dollars.
2. This category includes products that have a good artistic elaboration, a non-standard form, are covered with silver. There are many more samovars on the market, so a seller and a buyer can agree on a price. The price range fluctuates within 10 thousand dollars.
3. This category includes mass-produced products, ordinary and purely functional. The price for such a product is offered, as a rule, by the buyer. Such samovars can cost about 500 dollars.