Russian Fairy Tales
by Heinrich Porzellan "Villeroy and Boch".


Boris Zworykin is celebrated as one of the most important of Russia's old-school ornamental illustrators. The Russian Fairy Tales decorative plate collection, a series cycle produced from 1980-1983, is a wonderful tribute to his marvelous artistic gifts.
The edition was begun in 1980 with three scenes from the tale "The Snow Maiden". Subsequent annually-issued editions of three plates followed, based on "The Firebird" and "Vasilissa the Fair". The series closed in 1983 with "Maria Morevna".
The original illustrations, which are housed in the Metropolitan Museum at New York, were created 100 years ago, following Zworykin's emigration to Paris after the Russian Revolution.
Zworykin's artistic methods included the use of Gouache, a type of paint consisting of pigment suspended in water, that intensifies brilliance of colors. Production methods for hard-paste porcelain plates, to be faithful to the original pastel colors, use a high carat gold, making it possible, for example, to emphasize red and lilac shades from the original art. After firing is completed, the colors show a brilliance not often found on porcelain. The reason for this is that only one of each of the 28 different ceramic colors is applied before firing - a procedure that requires time, care, and precision. All plates made in (at the time) Western Germany. Each is 8 1/4" diameter and issued with a special certificate and styrofoam box for storage.
These original plates have been out of production for years. Due to their collectibility, at any given time our stock is limited. Click on a picture below for a close-up view and to get more information on each plate.
To order, please refer to the title of each plate.

In Search of the Firebird
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THE FIREBIRD.
"In Search of the Firebird."
Plate #7. Issued 1982.

Ivan on the Gray Wolf
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THE FIREBIRD.
"Ivan on the Gray Wolf."
Plate #8. Issued 1982.

Wedding of Tsarevna Elena the Fair
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THE FIREBIRD.
"The Wedding of Tsarevna Elena the Fair."
Plate #9. Issued 1982.

SOLD!

Snegurochka
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THE SNOWMAIDEN.
"Snegurochka."
Plate #1. Issued 1980.

SOLD!
Snowmaiden at the Court of Tsar Berendai
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THE SNOWMAIDEN.
"Snowmaiden at the Court of Tsar Berendai."
Plate #2. Issued 1980.

SOLD!
Lel, the Shepherd Boy
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THE SNOWMAIDEN.
"Lel, the Shepherd Boy"."
Plate #3. Issued 1980.

SOLD!

Red Knight
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VASSILISSA THE FAIR.
"Red Knight."
Plate #4. Issued 1981.

Vassilissa and Her Stepsisters
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VASSILISSA THE FAIR.
"Vassilissa and Her Stepsisters."
Plate #5. Issued 1981.

Ivan on the Gray Wolf
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VASSILISSA THE FAIR.
"Vassilissa is Presented to the Tsar."
Plate #6. Issued 1981.


Maria Morevna
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MARIA MOREVNA.
"Maria Morevna."
Plate #10. Issued 1983.

SOLD!
Koschei the Immortal.
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MARIA MOREVNA.
"Koschei the Immortal."
Plate #11. Issued 1983.

Enchanted Castle
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MARIA MOREVNA.
"Enchanted Castle."
Plate #12. Issued 1983.


Snow Maiden plate - 2nd edition
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