Porcelain, underglaze decals and hand-painted accents. Measures 3.5 " (89 mm) in height, 6 ½ " wide (including the handles). Beautiful pastoral decals are in typically early style. The artwork by M.M. Adamovich has no overtly Bolshevik symbols although both scenes include a tractor and electric wires strung over the farmhouses (one of the excuses for forced collectivization was the supposed benefits of industrialization of agriculture). Note also that the male farmer is wearing a red shirt and the girl sports a red headscarf.

Usually referred to simply as "Harvest" by the Soviet porcelain collectors, the official title for the artwork was "Haymaker and (female) Reaper" (Косарь и Жница). The sugar bowl is a part of the dessert porcelain service the most commonly seen piece of which is a teapot (although the ones usually offered on the market are the later, somewhat cruder reissues by the same factory). The sugar bowl and other pieces of the service are much more rare.

The bottom has a logo of the famous Dulevo Porcelain Factory with the hammer & sickle and letters ЦФТФ ("TsFTF"). The name of the factory is spelled out in the circular outer line: "Ф-ка им. газ. Правда. Дулево" - i.e. "Factory (named in honor of the) Pravda Newspaper, Dulevo". The factory was known under this particular name only from 1924-1937. Moreover, the specific style of its maker mark that appears on the bowl narrows the period of manufacture to 1927-1930. /This early trademark is shown as fig. 222 on page 88 in Volume One of Marks on Soviet Porcelain, Faience, and Majolica, 1917-1991. /

The sugar bowl is missing the lid (a common problem) but is in otherwise very good condition. There are a few minor hairlines that are nearly unnoticeable: one around the upper part of one of the handles and a couple more at the image of the male farmer. The latter are barely visible from the front and certainly do not affect the appearance of the artwork, although they are more noticeable on the inside of the bowl. The damage certainly does not appear to be threatening the integrity of the bowl. In general, the artwork is beautifully preserved and fresh. The glaze retains nice gloss throughout and shows no noticeable rubbing. Some losses of red paint on the handles are no more than would be expected from light use and actually add character, do not detract from the overall appeal of this elegant piece. The inner rim of the opening has a single tiny chip smoothed over by the continuous use over past decades and therefore not very detractive.

Unlike most other surviving pieces of Soviet porcelain of the period, this sugar bowl exhibits only very minor condition issues. It is a truly outstanding example of early Soviet propaganda art.

Please note, pen in our photo is for size reference.