Bidspirit auction | Tea set Poteshnaya ”One is

Tea set Poteshnaya ”One is enough”. 1 liter. M.S. Kuznetsov Company in Tver. Russian Empire 1878-1918. - An expressive example of Russian humorous teaware of the late 19th - early 20th century, made at the Tver factory of the M.S. Kuznetsov Partnership, one of the largest porcelain factories in the Russian Empire. The cylindrical cup and saucer are made of white porcelain, decorated with a blind green underglaze filling, complemented by a gold inscription ”One is enough”, applied by hand. The decor is complemented by bouquets of flowers applied using the decal technique with hand-painted underpainting. The volume of the cup - about 1 liter - emphasizes the humorous and ”ceremonial” nature of the item: such pairs were presented as joke gifts. Funny cups and tea pairs were common in Russia in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, especially among merchants and bourgeois people. They served as items of table fun and gifts for special occasions - name days, weddings, anniversaries. Kuznetsov factories produced such products in large editions, but the inscriptions, shapes and painting could vary, which makes each product unique. The Tver factory, founded in the 1860s and included in the M.S. Kuznetsov Partnership, was famous for its high-quality porcelain and a wide range of mass-market products. Condition: preserved painting and inscription, gilding is partially lost, which is typical for genuine pre-revolutionary items. The tea pair is of interest to collectors of Russian porcelain satire and everyday culture, and can also become a spectacular exhibit in thematic exhibitions dedicated to table traditions and humor in decorative and applied arts.