Object Description
Antique Continental parcel-gilt porcelain plate with pastoral landscape
Continental, possibly Russian, 19th Century
Height 2.5cm, diameter 22cm
An understated, humble, yet undeniably charming piece, this porcelain plate was crafted in the nineteenth century, possibly in Russia, and depicts a romanticised view of the pastoral lives of humble workers in Tsarist Russia. Banded by an ornate gilt pattern against a rich blue ground, it is articulated with a gilt rim and border to the centre, around the central scene which depicts a simple pastoral landscape, with a thatched barn-house in the middle distance and forest in the background.
With a pair of labourers front and centre in the foreground, it gives a glimpse of a narrative scene that encapsulates the Russian preoccupation with the working class labourer, a common subject in 19th century artwork, using it here to full effect to create an elegant antique decorative piece.