Silver Cup Set

Ghazaros and Natalia Aghayans’ gift to Toumanians.

The tradition of tea drinking was an integral part of old Tiflis life, so all the families got the necessary accessories for the ceremony. There are many such items in the museum's memorial collection: samovars, large and small sugar crushers, porcelain sets of tea, various types and style cups, etc. The most memorable is the collection of silverware, which is one of the gifts to the poet from the Aghayan couple.

Few people in Toumanian's life were more than friend. One of the unique ones is the Armenian writer, pedagogue and publicist Ghazaros Aghayan – an exceptional example of the warm friendship and cordial relationship of noble souls, which continued with the next generation family contact.

They met when the young poet Hovhannes Toumanian was still taking his first steps in literature. As a representative of the older literary generation, Gh. Aghayan was one of the first to welcome Toumanian's entry into the literary arena. Their fabulous friendship began from the very first contact.

In 1902 the 40th anniversary of Aghayan's literary activity turned. According to the newly established tradition, this event was celebrated by writers in a special festive mood. One evening, when the Armenian intellectuals were gathered in one of the parks in Tiflis, enjoying the dinner by the Aghayan family, there was a surprise for Toumanian couple. To make the day even more memorable Aghayans presented them the silver collection with special personal inscriptions. It was May 19, 1902. We read in Olga Toumanian's memoirs. "Usually in the evenings I took the children for a walk in Artsruni Park (next to the Artsruni Theater). In the evenings, Ohanes, Aghayan, Proshyan, Shirvan gathered for a conversation in this same park and drank beer. In 1902, on the day of the 40th anniversary of his activity Aghayan had dinner with his family in this park. That day he presented to me a silver cup with his plate and spoon, and a silver cup and spoon to Ohanes, which are now in the museum. ”

Before referring to the mentioned items, let us notify a few historical facts. According to experts, in the Russian Empire, hence in Tiflis, cup holders came into use in the late eighteenth century, when men drank tea in a glass cup and women in a porcelain cup. As it was not convenient to drink hot tea with a glass cup, metal "armor" was created for cups – cup holders. Later, they started to make small cup holders for women, because according to the same etiquette, women had to eat and drink less.

The collection of Toumanians includes

Silver cup: 84 carat, weighs: 145 grams, mouth diameter: 6.8 cm, foot diameter: 6.3 cm, height: 7.2 cm, handle:8.3 cm, gilded, and engraved with ornaments. The upper part has the shape of a cylinder. The inner part widens to form a convex band that turns into a round, truncated cone-shaped foot. Petals are carved on the entire surface of the convex zone, forming a large nozzle. There is a holder attached to the one side, and a small tassel plate for the thumb on it. On one side of the cup's upper part flowers and leafs are engraved, on the other - a gift inscription: “ՅԹ Ղ. Աղայեանից 19-19/V-02”.

Inside of the cup's foot the silversmith's seal is stamped, "СФ"; 84 carat; with the female half-face used in that period. The stamp with SF initials belonged to Samuel Zakaria Filander (1809-1868), who was born in Finland, studied in Fredrikshamn, worked in St. Petersburg. The master's stamp was used until 1872, as his wife continued his work.

The item is registered in the main fund of the museum: TTGG 170 / WB 104.

Tea spoon: silver, 25 grams, length 14.6 cm, spoon 2.5 x 3.8 cm.

The quadrangular tail gradually widening, crowned with a cone. The inside of the spoon is smooth, gilded, and the outside is decorated with carvings.

At the bottom of the spoon's tail, the silversmith's stamp "ИП" 84 carat, stamped with a female half-face. That seal belonged to I. P. Prokof's workshop.

The item is registered in the main fund of the museum: TTGG 170 / AIB 105.

The cup holder:  silver, 84 carat, weigh: 90 grams, diameter of the mouth: 5 cm, diameter of the foot: 3.5 cm, height: 6.2 cm, handle: 6.7 cm, gilded, engraved with ornaments. It is Natalya Aghayan's gift to Olga Toumanian.

The upper part has the shape of a cylinder.  The inner part widens to form a convex band that turns into a round foot. Petals are carved on the entire surface of the floor, forming a large nozzle. There is a holder attached to the one side. Flowers and leafs are carved on the upper part. On the other side a gift inscription engraved: «ՕԹ Նատ. Աղայեանից՚ 19-19/V-02». It is registered in the main fund of the museum: TTGG 170 / AIB 106.

Silver plate: gilded, 100 grams, height: 1.5 cm, diameter: 12 cm. Petals carved o\in the center that form a nozzle, and on the edges - flowers. It is registered in the main fund of the museum: TTGG 170 / AIB 107.

The seal of the same silversmith – Samuel Filander is stumped inside the foot of the cup and under the plate: "СФ ", 84 carat, with the female half-face used in that period.

Tea spoon: silver, 15 grams, length: 11 cm, spoon: 2.3 x 3 cm. It has a gradually widening quadrangular tail, crowned with a conical ball. The inside of the spoon is smooth, gilded, and the outside is decorated with carvings.

At the bottom of the spoon's tail, the silversmith's seal "Г.С." is stamped, 84 carat, with a female half face. That seal belonged to G. M. Sbitev’s workshop.

The item is registered in the main fund of the museum: TTGG 170 / AIB 108.

Based on the data that we have, the items were made in St. Petersburg and probably bought in one of the antique shops in Tiflis.

On September 25, 1952, Toumanian's widow Olga Toumanian presented the entire collection to the museum (Act N 5).

Article by Anahit Nalbandyan 

Translated by Anahit Sringyan