Help identify Russian samovar

Hi there ..
Thanks to the folks who suggested I create a new thread --

This samovar came with my grandfather from Russia sometime before World War I. It has numerous seals, the oldest of which is 1870. Any translation or other help is much appreciated. I think I saw "Tula" but that was about all I could decipher.

thanks all.

 

Hi there. Please edit your post. Under More Options on the bottom, you will be able to change your photos. On the top of your photos, please click Insert All as Full Image.

 

nice.....but we'll need close ups to read anything here........

 

Sorry -- I'm new to this. Just did what you suggested. Does it help? thanks

 

Thanks -- I'm new to this. Just edited to show images, I hope.

 

yes u r , and yes u did..........which is good..........but i'm still thinking we need bigger pics of the writing...

 

just added a cpl...

 

That's the ticket !!!! Thank you !!

Now, patience......till the Ruski speakers show up !!!

 

thanks

 

No problem. I just wanted you to get the maximum help from the members who know something.

 

@Figtree3 @Natasha

Tagging members that I think can read Russian language.

 

@April07 also

Sorry, I won't have time to work on this right now, but maybe later if nobody else comes through!

 

Thanks for tagging April. Fig. I knew there was a third person put could not remember who.

 

I can see the name Vasili (also spelled Vasily) Stepanovich Batashev, who was one of a famous family of samovar makers from Tula.
Some information about him and his family here. He is mentioned on page 2:
https://www.shopsamovar.com/hystory/about-batashev/
https://www.shopsamovar.com/hystory/about-batashev-page-2/

It's obvious from reading that the pages above were translated into English.

Here is a different site with some information about his brother.
https://www.samovarmuseum.ru/en/archive-secrets/batashev-junior/

 

The most recent date would actually help in figuring out the approximate date this was made. Couldn't have been made earlier than that date...

 

The oldest seal is dated 1883. But what's confusing is that under the main seal the date appears to be 1896 (see photo).

 

Each of the seals is in recognition of an award for some kind of merit at a competition of samovar makers. The 1896 seal is the most recent, not the oldest. Therefore, that is the best indicator of approximately when your samovar was made.

 

But if it was made in 1896, how can there be award seals from much earlier years? The samovar had to be manufactured before the oldest award competition seal, right? Looking more closely, I found that the oldest seal is from 1870. Do you think that the big seal with 1896 is another award seal? If so, it's very different from the others, all of which are smaller circle stamps.

 

The makers continued engraving the previous seals and award information to impress potential buyers - showing that they had a long history of excellence.

We need to have someone who can read Russian to chime in.

 

Almost nothing there is legible to me. The word in the right-side ribbon above the 1896 appears to be the word for "government." Above that, the larger letters spanning either side of the shield, are фабрич марка, which translates to "factory mark." So this is a logo of the company who made the samovar. Given that, I think the date 1896 might possibly be the date it was made, unless it was some date related to government approval.

And @Bakersgma is right, companies often touted all of their awards for years after the fact. Same thing happens frequently on card-mounted photographs from the late 19th century.