Very rare and excellent porcelain sculpture: Kändler created this group in 1772, right at the beginning of the work on the large order, as a personification of one of the two great main rivers of the vast Russian Empire, the natural waterways Volga and Dnieper, important for economy and traffic, which promised prosperity and wealth to the Empire: The Volga in the form of a river god, seated sideways on heavily relieved fully sculptured rock covered with shells and coins as well as fern and reed plants, fully bearded and crowned with laurel, wrapped in floral patterned purple loincloth. He looks pensively to the side and rests his right arm on an overturned baluster vase, from which water flows together with shells and fish, on the wall of the vase the crowned, rocaille-framed Polish-Lithuanian royal coat of arms with the coat of arms of the Electorate of Saxony. At the same time he touches with his hand an oar with gold ornamentation and crossed red swords, in his left he holds a cornucopia with plastic flowers, ears of grain and coins, symbols of fertility and wealth. The group is based on the front curved plinth with relief gold heightened meander and ribbon border. The design of this group belongs to the models of the 'Great Russian Order'. The total of 40 small sculptures were commissioned in 1772 for Empress Catherine II by Kändler, who supplied all the drawings. The figures were intended to decorate a cabinet in a pavilion in the garden of Oranienbaum Palace near St. Petersburg.Some of the designs do not necessarily reveal a direct relationship to the Russian empress, but in the case of some of them, Kändler at least gave hints in his work reports as to how he wanted the content of his artworks to be understood. Designer: JOHANN JOACHIM KÄNDLER (1706 - 1775) chief sculptor at the Meissen manufactory from 1742 to 1775. He is the most famous modeller Meissen manufactory ever had and created famous series such as Shepherd Figurines, Comedian's Children, Gardener Children (with Acier), Paris Town Criers (with Reinicke and Meyer) , Gallant Figurines, etc. Design of this figurine group in 1772. Manufactory: Meissen Germany Dating: made ca. 1850 Material: white porcelain, glossy finish Technique: handmade and finest hand painting Size: height: 33,0 cm / 12.99 inches width: 34,0 cm / 13.38 inches depth: 22,0 cm / 8.66 inches Marks: Blue Meissen underglaze crossed sword mark circa 1850, 'Pommels on hilts' / first quality model number 235 (number 40 of the order) Bibliography: - Thomas & Sabine Bergmann, Meissen Figures / Erlangen (Germany) 2017, Model Numbers Series and Animals, catalogue number 3409 on page 154. - Ulrich Pietsch, Meissen für die Zaren (Meissen for the Tsars), Hirmer Verlag Munich 2004, page 103, fig. 23. Condition: excellent
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