Silver Tea Glass Holders with Tea Glass

Silver tea glass holders: what a podstakannik is

The tea glass sits in the silver holder, your hand takes the handle, and tea remains a quiet moment. A podstakannik is a Russian tea glass holder: a metal holder with a handle that encloses a tea glass. The word literally means “something under the glass”. Here you get it in 925 sterling silver, as a single holder or as a set with a spoon. The tea glass and gift box are included, and all pieces are new. Many can be engraved. Two manufacturers stand behind the selection.

Designs and motifs: how to find the right holder

We sort by shape, not by individual piece.

Tea glass holders with an engraving field: Meister, Barok and Patron

These classics carry a blank field on the front for a name or date. The Meister with engraving field stands on feet, laurel frames the field, and there are round-arched openwork cut-outs. The Barok has a closed wall with a diamond lattice, a sweeping handle and bright, polished surfaces. The Patron resembles the Meister but rests on a smooth base and is somewhat taller. The Meister and the Barok are available individually and as a set, the Patron as a set.

Saints and horsemen: tea glass holders with a medallion

Here a medallion in a laurel wreath sits on the front. St George rides over the dragon, either with dark patinated recesses or as a St George tea glass holder with gilded relief. The Bronze Horseman shows the equestrian monument to Peter the Great. The engraving goes on the smooth base below. All motifs are also available as a set with a spoon.

Coats of arms, hunting and troika: sets with a spoon

This group always comes as a set. The double-headed eagle with antique patina has a partly gilded twin, and the Spasskaya Tower shows the tower in the Kremlin wall. Capercaillie and Hunters at Rest are hunting motifs. The Troika with three-horse relief shows a team of three horses in a winter forest.

SevChern: tea glasses in silver holders with crystal glass

These four pieces are built differently: lotus blossom, arabesque band, sailboat and the Victor set with a spoon. The crystal glass has a cut decoration. On the silver holder with arabesque band, gilded arches frame the glass. The Victor tea glass set with spoon shows St George in a heraldic shield.

Single holder or set: what is in the box

The single holder comes with a tea glass and gift box. The set adds a teaspoon and is complete as a gift. With ArgentA, the holder is the same in both. If you would like to add a spoon, choose, for example, the Der Meister set. More combinations are shown in the silver gift sets.

ArgentA and SevChern: two origins, two surfaces

ArgentA comes from Kolchugino, the town where most Russian podstakanniki are made. The holders are made of 925 silver, and the raised surfaces are polished by hand. Dark patina sits in the recesses, which is called antique patina, or the relief is gilded. This is not lacquer. Here the glass is simply called a tea glass. The pieces can be engraved with up to 20 characters via the engraving fee.

SevChern works in Veliky Ustyug. The holders are made of 925 silver, partly gilded and decorated with niello: a dark compound that is fused into engraved lines and becomes part of the metal. The design is engraved by hand, and niello art has been documented there since the late 17th century. The glass is crystal glass. You can read how the dark design is created in our guide.

If you are looking for a blank field for a name or date, look at ArgentA. If you like the dark design in the silver, look at SevChern. Collectors of Russian silver art like to place both side by side.

Engraving: two ways to a personal holder

The first way is engraving. With ArgentA, up to 20 characters fit on the base or in the engraving field; on sets, the spoon can be engraved as well. You order the engraving fee as a separate product, one per engraved piece. Write your request in the “order note at checkout”. We then agree with you on how the lettering and layout will look. If something cannot be done, we refund the fee and look for an alternative with you. The product page states which spot is suitable. For SevChern, we engrave after checking with the manufacturer. All steps are described in the engraving service. Note: there is no right of withdrawal for engraved items.

The second way is words instead of letters. The SilberVerse card is available free of charge on request. The verse is created individually for the occasion and name and comes as a photo card, 15 × 10 cm in size. It also helps where a piece cannot be engraved.

Occasions: Christmas, silver wedding, milestone anniversaries and more

Christmas: a holder for the tea table

After the presents have been exchanged, the family sits at the table, and the glass stands in the silver holder. As a set, everything comes in the gift box, and a name makes it personal. You will find ideas among the silver Christmas gifts and in the Christmas guide. If you are giving a gift for Christmas, decide early, because engraving takes time. How and when we deliver is explained on the Payment and shipping page.

Wedding anniversary and silver wedding

If you give two holders, two glasses stand side by side on the wedding anniversary. With initials and a year, each holder becomes personal. A silver wedding celebrates 25 years together, and children then like to give their parents something that is used at tea time. The selection is shown in wedding anniversary gifts and silver wedding gifts. The guide original silver wedding gifts offers ideas.

Milestone anniversary, business and retirement

For a work anniversary, a company celebration or a farewell to colleagues, a set with a name and date is a good choice. Suitable selections are the anniversary gifts and gifts for colleagues and business partners. For retirement, the guide explains what to give for retirement.

For hunters

For hunting enthusiasts there are the Capercaillie and Hunters at Rest. Both come as a set, and the spoon can be engraved. More silver for hunting enthusiasts is shown in the silver hunting gifts.

Origin and motifs: what the holders tell

Tea culture and the podstakannik

The tea glass in a metal holder is part of Russian tea culture. The samovar also belongs at the tea table: you can read more about it in the guide the samovar and tea culture.

What the motifs show

St George is seen as a symbol of courage and of victory over evil; the dragon on the ground stands for evil. You will find suitable Orthodox gifts in a separate selection. The Bronze Horseman is a secular monument, not an image of a saint. The double-headed eagle is a Russian heraldic animal, and the Spasskaya Tower is part of the Kremlin wall on Red Square. Troika means a team of three horses. The lotus blossom is seen as an image of a new beginning, the sailboat against the sun as an image of setting out.

Care: silver, patina and gilding

After tea, briefly wipe the holder dry with a soft cloth. If needed, wash it with lukewarm water. The holder does not belong in the dishwasher. We recommend a silver polishing cloth for the smooth surfaces; work gently in dark recesses. Clean gilded parts only with water and a soft cloth, without polishing. Silver tarnishes over time, which is part of the material. You will find more on the care instructions page.

Tea glass holders: briefly answered

What is a podstakannik?
A Russian glass holder with a handle that encloses a tea glass. Translated, the word means “something under the glass”. Most of these holders are made in Kolchugino.

How do ArgentA and SevChern differ?
ArgentA (Kolchugino) supplies a tea glass, patina or gilding and engraving of up to 20 characters. SevChern (Veliky Ustyug) supplies crystal glass, the dark design in niello silver and partial gilding, with engraving after checking with the manufacturer.

Can I have a tea glass holder engraved?
Yes. With ArgentA, you enter your request at checkout; the product page shows which spot is suitable. We engrave SevChern pieces after checking with the manufacturer.

What does antique patina mean?
A dark patina sits in the recesses of the relief, while the raised surfaces remain brightly polished. This makes the motif stand out in relief.

Engraving field or medallion: which suits me?
An engraving field takes a name or date on the front. With a medallion, the motif is on the front and the smooth base below is engraved.

Is this genuine 925 silver?
Yes. The silver parts bear the 925 hallmark; the glass is not made of silver.

How do I care for a silver tea glass holder?
With a soft cloth, lukewarm water and a silver polishing cloth, not in the dishwasher. Do not polish gilded parts. You will find more in the silver care instructions.

Which occasions suit a tea glass holder, and when should I order?
Wedding anniversaries, silver weddings, milestone anniversaries, retirement and Christmas gifts. Order early, especially with engraving. The delivery terms can be found in the shop.

For the tea table: strainers, spoons and tableware

The rest of the table goes with the glass in its holder: tea strainers, teapots and teaspoons in silver. For an overview, see silver tableware and flatware.