This “Woman Adjusting Corset” is an example of miniature Russian erotica in porcelain. Is she in the act of dressing or undressing? Why does the base suggest she is outdoors rather than in the boudoir? Fans of the female form […]
I approached the moulds differently for each of the two trees this week. Played it safe with the first. The model needed to come out intact. Using it again come Furry building. Took my time, spreading the task over a […]
This miniature “Pierrot Astride a Drum” is from the same lot as Porthos and the Voltigeur. I will go out on a limb and say that it was also made by the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory. Again, my task will […]
I gave the third tree a major update to get it ready for moulding. It just didn’t have the energetic thrust I wanted. Makeover time. Cutting up the tree trunks for easier moulding instead of having to make more complex […]
When I finished up the wax branches for the moulds last week, I was making final glaze decisions. The idea of bark will be conveyed in the glaze and not in the surface of the clay as I had been […]
These richly enamelled and gilded Easter eggs were made by the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Romanov family tradition was to present eggs such as these to guests at the annual Easter […]
It was a busy week of mould making. Many smaller components were dealt with. The slip moulds for several branches, the garbage can and liner, the bench planks and standard are now drying. Feels like things are going in the […]
This deluxe toy soldier came in the same lot as the Porthos in last week’s post. Another revelation hidden under layers of soot and grease. While I might have thought this could be a Russian soldier a week ago, research […]
When I saw this Porthos in a lot of five very grimy and underrated miniatures, I recognized it from a 2009 auction catalogue. The catalogue has a marked example made by the Imperial Porcelain Factory (IPF) from the period of […]
I have been finding time here and there to complete the model for the cat head light. A few more hours should do it. Then comes the plaster mould. The back of it will accommodate wiring and hanging. This part […]