Yusupov was one of the great Russian Private Factories for the brief period of its existence. The factory proper was started by Prince Nikolai Yusupov in 1827 but had actually begun a few years earlier as a porcelain painting enterprise. Artists were brought from Sevres to train the local workers.
Prince Yusupov was a highly educated and refined gentleman who held many important posts in his long career. Former diplomat, director of the Imperial Porcelain and Glass Factories under Catherine II, director of the Hermitage and consummate collector of fine art. Yusupov spoke five languages and seems to have been personally acquainted with various heads of state throughout Europe.
The Yusupov Factory was known for producing high quality work, many decorated with copies of old master paintings from the Prince’s personal collection.
The factory did not survive Prince Yusupov’s death in 1831.
This demitasse was made by the Yusupov Factory. It is unmarked.
When I bought this, I knew nothing of Yusupov. What happened was that once I saw this dazzling little beauty, I couldn’t get it out of my head. In spite of that, I resisted making the purchase. I saw it re-listed a couple times. In the end I gave in to my instincts and here we are now.
I knew from the start that the handle was a replacement. The asp was some restorer’s fantasy. My feeling was that it should have an empire handle.
Some time later, I purchased the recent Russian volume on the Yusupov Factory. I was quite taken aback to find one of these cups in it. While not a featured work, it was there in a reproduction of an old black and white photograph from 1916. The photograph showed a cabinet filled with Yusupov porcelain. There the cup was on one of the shelves. This other cup had an above the rim medallion handle more in keeping with the period.
I love the modelling and the lavish gilding of this cup. My favourite detail is the way headdress comes to a perfect little curl at the back.
8.6 cm in height. 1827 – 1831.
