Kumgan (Tatar Copper Ewer)
Narrow-necked copper or brass ewer with a spout and handle used by the Tatars for water and for the ritual ablution before Muslim prayer. Made by Tatar coppersmiths (bakyrche), the kumgan was a symbol of the Tatar home, kept with a towelled basin and used at festivals and religious observances. Kazan and the villages of Zakazanye produced the finest examples. The ewer's long spout and slender neck pour a controlled stream, and the body is often engraved with floral or geometric ornament; some examples carry a lid and a pierced foot. The kumgan is used in the washing that precedes prayer, and i