Children Feeding Doves [Polonne]

Children Feeding Doves (Дети кормят голубей). A sweet porcelain sculpture depicting two young children feeding the doves, evoking simpler times. Polonne Artistic Ceramics Factory (Полонский фарфоровый завод художественной керамики). 1960's. Model design by Svetlana Vladislavovna Golembovskaya (Bolzan). Porcelain, underglaze painting and overglaze art painting. Has the blue 1st quality Polonne ("Полонне",ЗХК") backstamp. Excellent condition, light wear but no defects, chips, no restoration. 4" height and 3½" width. 1 only, as shown.

Polonne is an city on the Khomora River in the Khmelnitsky region in western Ukraine. Originally it was built as a castle fortress on the banks of the river. Its recorded history dates back to 998. After passing through many regimes, Polonne's status as village was finally settled in 1938, when it became a city. In the 1880's, porcelain and earthenware was crafted on the Polonsky estate. Several years after, a cooperative of craftsmen, aka "Keramik", was opened. This became the Polonsky factory of artistic ceramics, officially founded in 1956, which effectively produced millions of porcelain products annually, including many unique and beautiful pieces. After Ukraine's Independence, it was privatized and still thrived. Over time, however, economic weakness and foreign porcelain imports coupled with tax inspection and pension funding forced the company into bankruptcy in 2011. The legacy still appears to exist through the Khmelnytsky Regional Museum.