The Imperial Porcelain Factory entered a period of prosperity under patronage of Catherine the Great. The factory mainly served the needs of the court and, at the order of the empress, created unique pieces to be given as gifts to foreign dignitaries, favorites, and courtiers. Starting in 1779, the chief modeler of the Imperial Porcelain factory, Jean Dominique Rachette (1744–1809), extended the scope of the factory production by creating a series of original figures known as the People of Russia.
This series was inspired by the book of the famous ethnographer and traveler Johann Gottlieb Georgi entitled “A Description of All the Peoples Inhabiting the Russian State”. Work on the series continued from 1780 until 1804.
As leading experts on antique Russian porcelain, we provide FREE online appraisals of “People of Russia” and other figurines produced by The Imperial Porcelain Factory in St Petersburg. If you happen to own one of these figures and would like to find out its current market value, CONTACT US. We’ll be glad to assist.
