Antique of the Week: Vintage Samovar

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community’s points of pride. Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week, we’re featuring a Russian samovar designed to serve tea. According to Sandra Ellington, the proprietor of , this particular samovar is from 1900, and it is made of brass.

Ancient samovars were not meant to serve tea because tea did not become fashionable until the Middle Ages, according to Azer.com. They were even shaped differently. They lacked the legs at the bottom, and they did not have a lid. Instead, samovars were used to make soup or broth. They were, however, more fuel efficient than the latter samovars because they were heated from the bottom and inside.

During the 17th century, tea was imported from Western Mongolia to Russia, and it was predominantly served as medicine for the nobility. Each samovar was handmade of brass and plated with either gold or silver. By the end of the 19th century, at least 165 types of samovars were created.

This particular samovar is currently being sold for $650 at , located at 4125-4131 Howard Ave. Ellington can be reached at 301-530-9393 to answer any questions you may have.