Young Pioneer Skier, glazed porcelain figurine by Dmitrovo Porcelain Factory, Verbilki, sculptor S Orlov, 1954.
Rather large, stands approx. 9 ¾" tall, the plinth is 5" x 4 ½". Weighs almost 2 lbs. A boy wearing the Young Pioneers red tie is enjoying a fast ski ride downslope. The model was made by sculptor S. Orlov in 1954. This particular figurine stands out from other casts of this model. First, the sculptor's name and year are on the back. Also, it has an interesting artistic feature not present in other casts. If you look closely at the little fur trees, you will see that the glaze has not been applied in most of their creases, enhancing the 3D effect of their volume. The statuette is maker marked on the bottom. This iteration of the graphic was in use from 1954 to 1970 (#183 in Volume One of Marks on Soviet Porcelain, Faience, and Majolica, 1917-1991 by Nasonova et al.). Green color indicates 3rd quality rating. The statuette's listing can be found on p. 300 of Soviet Porcelain 1917 - 1991: Illustrated Catalog with Manufacturer Marks and Prices by I. Pelinskiy and M. Safonova (see our last photo). Note that the price tag "From $250" is for the Russian market as of the year of the catalog's publication, 2012-13.
The figurine is in outstanding excellent condition. The line of gilt running around the base of the plinth shows a few spots where the gilt has rubbed off. These spots are few and small, practically not detractive at all. There is no other visible damage of any kind.
Verbilki is an urban-type settlement in the Moscow Region, about 70 miles to the north of Moscow. In 1766 an English banker Francis Gardner founded a porcelain factory there. It was the first private porcelain factory, competing with the Imperial Porcelain Factory which manufactured fine porcelain exclusively for the Russian Imperial Court. By the mid-1770s, the Gardner factory was on par with the Imperial Porcelain Factory in terms of quality and artistic merit of their product and won multiple commissions from the Russian Imperial Court. The most prestigious of those were a number of huge magnificent services for royal banquets for the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. After 1917, the factory was renamed into "Dmitrovo Porcelain Factory". The same masters continued to work there, maintaining the old style and tradition of high standards of quality. In post-Soviet times it was renamed again and is currently known as "Verbilki Porcelain" ("Фарфор Вербилок").
Please note that the pen in our photo is for size reference only.
Item# 39754
$490.00 Add to cart
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