작품 상세

A group of Gardner Manufactory 'Eastern Market' porcelain bowls, late 19th century, Russian, each painted with two reserves containing floral sprays, painted red marks underneath, including: a pair, on a blue ground, another, on a red ground, one larger, red ground, and another pair (five 16.5cm diameter, 8cm high; one larger 18.5cm diameter, 9cm high) (6) Provenance: A collector in Pakistan; a private collection, Abingdon Mansions, Kensington, London W8. Footnote: The Gardner Porcelain Factory was founded in 1766 by the English merchant Frances Gardner, in the village of Verbilki, Moscow. In the 1770s and 1780s, the factory produced the four Order Services for Empress Catherine II: Order of St Andrew the First-Called, the Order of St George the Victorious, the Order of St Alexander Nevsky and the Order of St Vladimir. The Gardner factory produced wares of a standard that competed with the Imperial Porcelain Factory, both for the national and international market. In 1892, the factory was bought and absorbed by the Matvei Kuznetsov factory. A similar piece can be seen in the V&A Collection, accession no. C.10-2018, collected in Afghanistan. As Russian influence expanded across Central Asia in the late 19th century, Gardner porcelain entered regional trade networks and became surprisingly well integrated into local material culture. Surviving examples from Afghanistan show not only that these wares were imported, but that they were valued and repaired using distinctive Afghan techniques, indicating long domestic use. Russian manufacturers, including Gardner, also produced specialised 'Eastern‑market' goods with bright decoration, local ornamental motifs and even Arabic inscriptions, designed to appeal to Muslim consumers across Central Asia. These tailored exports, circulating along historic routes linking Herat, Kabul and Quetta, illustrate how Russian porcelain adapted to, and was absorbed by, the tastes and traditions of communities across Afghanistan and the wider region. Condition Report: Wear to gilt rims and decoration. Structurally appear in good order with no chips or cracks.