Description:
Antique large Victorian samovar (cm. Ø20; h.22) made in 1872 by silversmiths Thomas Bradbury & Sons. Bradbury's dating system is based on 3 series of letters. The 1st ranges from 1850 to 1875 with serifed alphabet letters enclosed in a diamond. Rarely between 1850 and 1853, the letters are not within a diamond. The 2nd ranges from 1876 to 1901 with letters enclosed in a shield or cartouche, and finally, the 3rd series ranges from 1902 to 1927: it begins from the early 1900s and ends shortly before the company's closure. In addition to the date letters, Bradbury pieces are paired with the manufacturer's mark, the initials TB & S (Thomas Bradbury & Sons). Sometimes, as in the case of this samovar, the initials are surmounted by a crown, which they stopped using after 1895 when its use was prohibited to avoid confusion with the solid silver marks of the city of Sheffield.
