134. Khan Giray figure from the triptych based on the poem by A.S. Pushkin The Fountain of Bakhchisarai. N.Ya. Danko. State Porcelain Factory 1920-30s

A rare collectible porcelain figure from the triptych based on the poem by A.S. Pushkin The Fountain of Bakhchisarai depicting Khan Giray, created according to the model of N.Ya. Danko at the State Porcelain Factory (GPF) in the period 1920-1930. The character is presented in an oriental costume with expressive details, including a headdress with a striped pattern, a white robe with ornaments and a rich burgundy cloak decorated with golden branches. On the character`s belt is a saber, emphasizing the character of the image. The base of the figurine is decorated with a multi-colored pattern in the oriental style, and at the bottom there is an inscription decorated with the ligature Gireya, indicating that it belongs to a triptych. Dimensions: Height: 12.5 cm. Width: 5.5 cm. Hallmarks: In the test sickle, hammer and part of the gear corresponding to the State Porcelain Factory (GPZ), period 1920-1930. Preservation: good with traces of use. A similar figure is presented in the collection of the State Museum-Reserve Peterhof and published in the catalog of T.N. Nosovich, I.P. Popov State Porcelain Factory, 1904-1944. St. Petersburg, 2005, p. 375.Historical background: Natalya Yakovlevna Danko (1892–1942) was an outstanding sculptor and artist of decorative and applied arts. From 1909 to 1914, she worked in the sculpture workshop of V.V. Kuznetsov, and participated in the creation of sculptures for architectural objects in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Kyiv. In 1914, she became a sculptor at the Imperial Porcelain Factory, and from 1919 she headed the factory’s sculpture workshop, and from 1925 she was responsible for the export of artistic porcelain to Europe and America. Natalya Danko was one of the key figures in “agitational porcelain,” the creator of many small sculpture works, including individual figures and sculptural groups. Her works are in the collections of leading museums, such as the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the State Hermitage Museum, the State Museum of Ceramics and the 18th-century Kuskovo Estate, and the All-Russian Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art.