Stephanie Loretti – art ceramics and porcelain

For some time now, the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory (St. Petersburg) has decided to resume the release of some porcelain figurines of its masters of the past. The history of the plant, which began in 1744, boasts a large number of works of excellent quality and fine taste, reflecting the artistic tendencies of their eras. Of course, the enterprise stores in its archives model forms, sketches of drawings of decor, a description of the technology of their creation, etc., which allows to perform copying quite accurately. But also modern technologies do not stand still: new compositions of porcelain masses, materials for production of model forms have been discovered, modern high-tech pigments and paints for high-temperature porcelain have been obtained. We decided to compare the originals created by Russian masters 100 or more years ago, and their modern replicas. Fortunately, many porcelain figurines of the Imperial Factory are in the collection of the State Hermitage and are open to the general public. So, see for yourself:

Figurine “Lady with a mask”

1, 2 – Both of two figurines from the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia. They were created in 1906. The author of the model and the painting: Somov Konstantin Andreevich (1869-1939).

3 – A modern replica of the “Lady with a Mask”, made at the same Imperial Porcelain manuactory by the author’s model.

Figurine “Anna Akhmatova”

1 – The statuette is from the collection of the State Hermitage. It was created in the USSR in 1924. The author of the model: Danko Natalia Yakovlevna (1892-1942); The author of the painting: Danko Elena Yakovlevna (1898-1942).

2 – Modern recreated statuette “Anna Akhmatova” of the Imperial Porcelain manuactory according to the model of N. Danko.

Natalia Danko is known for her sculptures depicting the bright heroes of the Russian revolution and the scene from the daily life of Petrograd. In addition to this direction, she was engaged in creating portraits of her contemporaries. Being a magnificent sculptor, Danko possessed a special talent to grasp the image, the idea in the surrounding reality and transfer it to porcelain. She repeatedly visited the cult cafe in St. Petersburg “Stray Dog”, where frequent guests were representatives of St. Petersburg Bohemia. Among her friends, whom she embodied in porcelain sculptures, were artists, dancers, poets … One of the best in this series is rightly considered the portrait of the poetess Anna Andreevna Akhmatova – one of the most significant figures of Russian literature of the XX century.

Figurine “Fortune-teller”

1 – The figurine is in the collection of the State Hermitage. It was created in the USSR in 1922. The author of the model: Danko, Natalia Yakovlevna (1892-1942); The author of the painting: Bryantseva, Maria Alexandrovna. (1885-1942).

2 – A replica of the statuette “Fortune-teller” of the Imperial Porcelain manuactory according to the model of N. Danko.

The famous sculptor N.Ya. Danko is considered the founder of Soviet porcelain plastics. From 1919 to 1941 she headed the sculpture workshop of the State Porcelain Factory. She created more than 300 works that formed a kind of porcelain chronicle of the first decades of the diverse life of post-revolutionary Russia. “Fortune-teller” – one of the genre scenes of the colorful life of the city streets of post-revolutionary Petrograd, seen by the author and talented embodied in porcelain. The work is executed in a realistic manner with careful study of details, with fine modeling and drawing of clothes. Delicate painting harmoniously combines with the shape and revitalizes the sculpture, giving it special decorative.

Figurine “Girl – water-carrier”

1 – Figurine is from the collection of the State Hermitage. It was created in 1817-1820. The author of the model: Pimenov Stepan Stepanovich (1784-1833)

2 – The reconstructed statuette of the “Girl – water-carrier” of the Imperial Porcelain manufactory by the model of S. Pimenov.

Figurine “Girl with a yoke”

1 – The figurine is from the collection of the State Hermitage, was created in Soviet Russia in 1923. The figure is made according to the model of S. Pimenov, the headpiece of the girl and the bending of the hands are slightly changed.

2 – Reconstructed statuette “Girl with a yoke”  of the Imperial porcelain factory according to the model of 1923.

The figure “Girls with a yoke” is very similar to the previous one. For the basis of the statuette is taken the famous sculpture of Pimenov SS, the headpiece of the girl is slightly changed, the arms bending holding the rocker. The costume on the 1923 statuette (1) was made in the fashionable at that time fantasy style of the famous Russian seasons of Sergei Diaghilev, on modern (2) – in a restrained spirit of folk traditions with gold trim.

Figurine “Girl with a broken pitcher”

1 – The statuette is in the collection of the State Hermitage. Created in the first quarter of the XIX century Model Author: Pimenov Stepan Stepanovich (1784-1833)

2 – A modern statuette “A girl with a broken pitcher” of the Imperial Porcelain manuactory by the model of S.Pimenov.

Sculptural group “Lovers”

1 – Sculpture from the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia. They were created in 1905. The author of the model and the painting: Somov Konstantin Andreevich (1869-1939).

2 – Reconstructed sculpture group “Lovers”  , executed at the same Imperial Porcelain Factory by the author’s model.

“Lovers” – this is one of three works, made in porcelain by the Russian artist of the association “World of Art” K.A. Somov

In our store there are porcelain figurines from this collection of museum replicas.

As noted in the article Imperial Porcelain Factory: history and modernity, the plant has always developed under the patronage of the ruling elite – the monarchs or, later, the state. Therefore, the marking of manufactured products always included state symbols: the monogram of the emperor, the coats of arms or monarchical symbols.

Marks of the Imperial porcelain of the Elizabethan period (1744 – 1761)

Since its foundation in 1744, the plant has been known as the Nevskaya Porcelain Manufactory. Russian chemist D.I. Vinogradov, the founder of Russian porcelain, marked the first articles with the capital letter of his name, adding a year or the exact date of their manufacture. Some labels include the recipe number for the porcelain mixture.

Later, from the mid-1750s, the brand takes the form of a two-headed eagle. The image was applied by the method of pressing into the mass or in the form of underglaze or overglaze painting of blue, black or gold.

… Catherine II (1762 – 1796)

With the reign of Catherine II, the brend was depicted in the form of an imperial monogram: the letter “E” with the Roman numeral II. The color is blue or gold, applied under the glaze or on top of it.

During this period, mass production of porcelain dishes for the needs of the court and palaces of Catherine begins, such products are marked with the symbols “Придвор”, “ПК” – which means “Court Office”, or the image of the crown over the grate. Sometimes together with them the year of manufacture was put.

… Paul I (1796 – 1801)

We see that the marking of porcelain products continues the tradition in the form of a monogram of Emperor Paul I crowned with a crown. The dishes for the courtiers are also marked with the symbols “ПК”. but with the letter “П” at the top. The colors are the same: blue or gold, above the glaze or under it.

… Alexander I (1801 – 1825)

Under Alexander I, the brand predictably takes the form of the letter “A” with the crown. As you can see, if the name of the emperor is unique at the time of his accession, the figure I was never put. A large variety of character tracings is due mainly to manual marking during this period. The colors and place of application continue the tradition: blue or gold, above the glaze or under it.

… Nicholas I (1825 – 1855)

Nicholas I somewhat changes the tradition: the monogram in a different outline with the crown remains. but I is added to the name of the emperor. On some stamps the crown is executed very picturesquely with careful drawing of details. Colors remain: golden or blue.

… Alexander II (1855 – 1881)

The color of the marking changes: it becomes olive-green under the glaze, sometimes golden in the glaze. The image represents the letter A and the Roman numeral II above which the crown hovers, in some cases the monogram lies in the laurel wreath.

… Alexander III (1881 – 1894)

Mark under Alexander III, as it is not difficult to guess, differs from the previous Roman figure III. The colors are the same: olive green under the glaze or gold on the glaze. With the last two emperors, the brand of porcelain is sometimes supplemented with the last two digits of the year of manufacture of the product.

… and Nicholas II (1894 – 1917)

The mark has the form of a letter H with a crown at the top and a Roman number II below. Sometimes put the year of release. Colors: olive green under the glaze or gold on the glaze.

Marks of the State Porcelain Factory (1917 – 1925)

After the February revolution of 1917 and the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, a huge country suddenly left without a flag, a coat of arms and state symbols. Therefore, for the first few months, porcelain was simply marked as the year of manufacture. From this period the name of the enterprise is changed to the “State Porcelain Factory” (GFZ). From March 21, 1917 until July 10, 1918, the double-headed eagle, deprived of imperial regalia, becomes the emblem of the Russian Republic, and it also appears on the stamps of the GFZ during this period. Further brands of the plant are a reflection of the political life of the country.

The October Revolution of 1917 presented the country with a new state symbol – a crossed hammer and sickle, which we can see on the variations of the factory grades of the GFZ. The figures also show signs dedicated to helping the starving Volga region, the anniversary of the October Revolution, export versions with the inscriptions “made in Russia” and “made in Russia USSR”.

Marks of the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory (1925 – 2005)

In 1925, in connection with the anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the plant was named after M.V. Lomonosov, from this moment he becomes the “Leningrad State Porcelain Factory named after MV Lomonosov. Lomonosov “, abbreviated as” Lomonosov Porcelain Factory “(ЛФЗ). During this period, the abbreviation “ЛФЗ” is present on almost all the stamps of the plant, although the outline of the symbols is changing. Export options are also accompanied by the inscriptions “made in Russia” and “made in Russia USSR”. From 1970 to 1989, the brand indicates the grade of products and the product complexity group. 1 grade was marked in red,  2 – in blue and 3 – in green. Brands of jubilee issues were supplied with a laurel wreath. From 2002 to 2006, hand-marked products with the inscription “hand decorated ЛФЗ 1744 St.Peterburg Russia”.

The modern brand of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory since 2005

In 2005, the company returns its historical name “Imperial Porcelain manufactory” (IPM). The current brand of IPS dark blue (cobalt) color, is reduced to a single standard and does not allow for variations.

Products of the Imperial Porcelain manufactory…