{"product_id":"samovar-and-scarf-18-5x19-5-cm","title":"Samovar and scarf. 18.5x19.5 cm","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSamovar and Scarf. New Year Still Life\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis original oil painting was created in Switzerland during the New Year season. At the centre of the composition stands a Tula samovar that belongs to the family of my husband. The samovar was brought to Switzerland from Turkey and carries a personal family history connected to a military ancestor from the Ottoman army. Preserved across generations, it remains not only a historical object but also a living part of family life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOver the years, we have used this samovar ourselves in the Swiss Alps, heating water inside it and preparing herbal tea outdoors. Because of this, the object carries two histories at once: an older past connected to family memory and a contemporary life continued within the mountain landscapes of Switzerland.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe samovar itself belongs to a tradition closely associated with Tula, the historic Russian centre of samovar production and metal craftsmanship. For centuries, samovars have served not only as practical objects for boiling water and preparing tea, but also as symbols of hospitality, family gatherings and shared rituals around the table. (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/samovar?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"\u003eEncyclopedia Britannica\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBehind the samovar appears my Pavlovo Posad shawl, which I wear here in Switzerland. Its floral ornament becomes part of the composition, transforming the background into a field of colour, pattern and cultural memory. Pavlovo Posad shawls are among the most recognizable traditions of Russian textile craftsmanship and have been produced for more than two centuries. (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/new.platki.ru\/en\/about\/manufactory\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"\u003enew.platki.ru\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMandarins are placed beside the samovar as symbols of the New Year. Across many families of the former Soviet world, mandarins remain strongly associated with winter celebrations, childhood memories and festive gatherings. Their bright orange colour introduces warmth and light into the composition, contrasting with the cooler blue and violet tones surrounding the metal surface of the samovar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRather than functioning as a traditional still life arranged around formal objects, the painting brings together personal artifacts carrying different layers of memory, geography and cultural identity. Russia, Turkey and Switzerland meet within a single image. The samovar, the shawl and the mandarins each carry their own history, yet together they form a quiet domestic scene connected by everyday life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe painting is built through expressive, visible brushwork. Thick layers of oil paint transform reflections, ornament and metal surfaces into vibrant passages of colour. The polished body of the samovar reflects fragments of surrounding light, while the patterned shawl dissolves into rhythmic blue, white and violet brushstrokes behind it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCreated from direct observation, this work records not only objects but also personal memory. It preserves a New Year moment where family history, cultural traditions and present-day life in Switzerland came together around a familiar table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal oil painting by Olga Tacan.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocation: Switzerland\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSubject: Tula samovar, Pavlovo Posad shawl and mandarins\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThemes: Family memory, cultural heritage, New Year traditions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedium: Oil painting\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOil on carton\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePlain air still life painting \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSize 18.5 cm x 19.5 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSize with passé-partout 35x35 cm  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDate: 11 November 2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eLocation: La Croix sur Lutry, Switzerland \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ceruleanistique Art","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54927012299087,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0884\/9381\/8191\/files\/B0C00E49-4253-46EC-9B7D-54EED57F4795.jpg?v=1744835913","url":"https:\/\/www.ceruleanistique.com\/en\/products\/samovar-and-scarf-18-5x19-5-cm","provider":"Ceruleanistique Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}