Russian Fairy Tales
by Heinrich Porcelain Fabrik (Villeroy and Boch).

Boris Zworykin is celebrated as one of the most important of Russia's 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. Each plate is an individual masterpiece.
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 used 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, at temperatures approaching 1500 F., the colors display 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 Western Germany by Heinrich Porcelain Fabrik, one of Europe's most prestigious porcelain houses. Each plate 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. Click on a picture below for a close-up view and to get more information on each plate.

The following plates are in stock as of Jan 24, 2012.:
Plate #1, #2, #5, and #6.


Snegurochka
THE SNOWMAIDEN
"Snegurochka."
Plate #1. Issued in 1980.
Click on picture for more info. 		Snowmaiden at the Court of Tsar Berendai
THE SNOWMAIDEN
"Snowmaiden at the Court of Tsar Berendai."
Plate #2. Issued in 1980.
Click on picture for more info. 		Lel, the Shepherd Boy
THE SNOWMAIDEN
"Lel, the Shepherd Boy."
Plate #3. Issued in 1980.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK
Red Knight
VASSILISSA THE FAIR
"Red Knight."
Plate #4. Issued in 1981.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK 		Vassilissa and Her Stepsisters
VASSILISSA THE FAIR
"Vassilissa and Her Stepsisters."
Plate #5. Issued in 1981.
Click on picture for more info. 		Vassilissa is Presented to the Tsar
VASSILISSA THE FAIR
"Vassilissa is Presented to the Tsar."
Plate #6. Issued in 1981.
Click on picture for more info.
In Search of the Firebird
THE FIREBIRD
"In Search of the Firebird."
Plate #7. Issued in 1982.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK 		Ivan on the Gray Wolf
THE FIREBIRD
"Ivan on the Gray Wolf."
Plate #8. Issued in 1982.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK 		Wedding of Tsarevna Elena the Fair
THE FIREBIRD
"Wedding of Tsarevna Elena the Fair"
Plate #9. Issued in 1982.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK
Maria Morevna
MARIA MOREVNA
"Maria Morevna."
Plate #10. Issued in 1983.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK 		Koschei the Immortal.
MARIA MOREVNA
"Koschei the Immortal."
Plate #11. Issued in 1983.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK 		Enchanted Castle
MARIA MOREVNA
"Enchanted Castle."
Plate #12. Issued in 1983.
Click on picture for more info.
OUT OF STOCK
Snow Maiden plate - 2nd edition
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