Tea glass holder

ARTIST / MAKER: A.S Martyanov?
DATE: ca.1891 (made)
PLACE: St Petersburg (made)
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES: Silver, cast and chased
COLLECTION NUMBER: 1016

In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, tea is traditionally drunk from a glass within a decorative holder. This tea glass holder is chased to resemble the traditional Russian craft of basketwork, a skill which was passed from mother to daughter. After the liberation of the serfs in 1861, there followed a great interest in their lives, arts and crafts and as a result many works of art were decorated to simulate woven birch bark, fabric and wood.