Russian Gardner Figurine From Magic Lantern Street Sellers Series ,sbiten Seller

Figure measures 19 cm Fully marked: /Gardner/ impressed in paste,St.George on a horse,impressed city mark,red stamped mark :” Gardner factory in Moscow”Inventory numbers.Condition: Very good,except missing spout of a tea pot.Wonderful example of 19 century Russian Gardner bisque figure of a street seller. Holding bubliks and teapot( Sbiten seller)Sbiten: Sbiten a hot winter beverage. It has a dark purple appearance and, depending on the recipe, can be very spicy and/or very sweet. First mentioned in chronicles in 1128, sbiten remained popular with all classes (Social_class) of Russian society until the 19th century when it was replaced by coffee and tea In the 18th century sbiten still rivalled tea in popularity and was considered a cheaper option.Peter the Great had sbiten given to the work force involved in building his new capital for reasons of cold prevention. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Russian sailors would consume sbiten as a remedy against scurvy (especially when mixed with citrus or ginger juice)
Condition
Very good,except missing spout of a tea pot