Product Description
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator. Adults are olive-brown, weigh nearly 800 pounds and can grow up to 13 ft. Solitary creatures, they are native to China and the United States. Alligators first appeared about 37 million years ago. 4"x 7¾". This beautifully painted piece carries a book value of $150-$250.
Two talented artists collaborated to produce many of the "Porcelain Zoo" animal sculptures. Porcelain painter Viktor Zhbanov and sculptor/modeler Pavel Veselov. The fruit of their cooperation produced unique figures that are natural and distinctive in their poses.
The Lomonosov Porcelain Factory (Ломоносовский фарфоровый завод) has had a long history, starting with its name. When founded in 1744, it carried the name Imperial Porcelain Factory (Императорский фарфоровый завод). In 1925, it became Lomonosov, named after the scientist and writer Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765). Finally, in 2005, it came full circle and was renamed the Imperial Porcelain Factory (or Manufactory), or IPM, for short.