TULSKIJ PATRONNYJ ZAWOD (Tula Ammunition Factory) — established in 1880, charcoal samovar

nickel-plated metal, stamped (in Cyrillic: T.P.Z. / PROIZWODSTWO / TUL. PATRON.ZAW.); height 52 cm, width 40 cm, depth 33 cm;
Tula, early 20th century
Samovar supported by 4 legs and a square base with chamfered corners, transitioning into a circular, stepped foot and a short shaft with an openwork air vent; The water tank is cylindrical and partially ribbed; in the lower section, a spout topped with a bird’s head and a valve, and in the upper section, a pair of turned wooden handles; The body has a narrow, short neck with a cap set within a collar, featuring a steam vent opening shielded by a movable flap, and two small pine-cone-shaped handles; the whole is topped with a chimney, known as a “crown,” designed to hold a teapot, covered with a small lid used to smother the fire in the chimney, which runs through the center of the samovar to the grate at the bottom.
On the lid is the Cyrillic inscription “1j sort” [First Sort], and on the other side is the name of the manufacturer: T.P.Z./PROIWODSTWO/TUL.PATRON.ZAW.