Unusual Imperial Russian Samovar Brass Copper Mystery Engraved Samovar Marked

Description: This listing is for the antique brass samovar that you see in the photos. I purchased it at an estate sale in Oregon where I was told that it was owned by a Russian language professor. Otherwise, I was not told its history. It has various marks lightly stamped on it that you can see in the photos. My research tells me that it is very likely an antique from Imperial Russian (1721-1917). I leave it to the buyer to decide how old it is.It measures close to 20 1/2 inches tall. It weighs close to 5 pounds 10 ounces. As you can see, there is engraving around the top of the body. There are 8 pieces of metal around the bottom of the body that are apparently applied. Two of them are copper. The other 6 are a mystery to me. They are generally a dark gray color that looks to me something like very tarnished silver although I do not think that they are silver. There are some lighter areas on some of them where metal looks sort of white. Under strong magnification, in some of those light areas I see specks of copper or brass which makes me wonder if they are plated although it does not look like worn plate typically looks. I have rubbed an edge of one of them to see the metal become shiny. My close-ups should help you to see what I mean. I have not tested them so I leave it to the buyer to decide what the metal is. The bottom part of the body below the decorations looks like it might be the same metal. Perhaps it is some kind of bronze or some unusual alloy. The condition is much like you see it in the photos. There is an uneven patina with tarnish and a whitish oxidation especially around the solder. The top of the chimney is bent and has a small piece missing. The inside looks light and dark gray from use and oxidation. I have filled it with water and let it sit for about 15 minutes without detecting any leaks except from the spout. The spout works fine when opened. It has two closed positions. In one position it drips every few seconds. In the other closed position, it drips about every 15 seconds that slows to about once about every 25 seconds after awhile. The samovar might benefit from a cleaning. I have not tried to clean it. There are many small or tiny dents that you can see in the photos. The surface of the main part of body where most of the dents are seen looks and feels uneven like it has been lightly hammered. I am guessing that it was made that way.. There is one larger dent in the form of a line across one of the dark gray decorations that you can see in a close-up. the photos show a light line dent on the chimney. There are irregularities or imperfections that I assume are from it being hand made. Otherwise, it is generally fine and as shown. I guarantee this samovar to be as described and represented by the photos. The photos are part of the description; please look at all of them. I allow three business days for shipping, but I usually ship the same or next day if possible. Please note that the lighting in my photos is uneven, and there might be shadows or reflections. The colors on my monitor look close to but not exactly like the actual colors; different monitors may show different colors. I often say that an item measures or weighs "approximately" because no measurements are exact, and some things are difficult to measure.I like to leave feedback after I know that the item has arrived and that the buyer is satisfied. I reserve the right to cancel any bids without explanation. I sometimes purchase signature delivery for my more valuable packages because of the possibility of them being stolen off of a porch or damaged by weather. I often, but not always, ship the same or next day. Often, I have a double-walled box custom made for larger items, which might result in a short delay. When I use packing peanuts, they are usually made from biodegradable materials.Please email me with any questions or suggestions. I do not ship on weekends, and I might not be available to answer emails on weekends.

Price: 248.17 USD

Location: Albany, Oregon

End Time: 2024-11-18T02:52:10.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD