RARE RUSSIAN ANTIQUE SOVIET PORCELAIN MATCH HOLDER,1930s
An antique match strike and holder featuring a porcelain composition titled 'A DOG WITH A BASKET', crafted by the Dmitrov Porcelain Factory in Verbilki (formerly known as the Gardner Factory), based on a mid-19th-century model. This charming composition is executed with naturalistic precision and meticulous painting. On the bottom, you'll find a red overglaze mark indicating its origin from the Dmitrov Porcelain Factory.
CONDITION: Magnificent condition. No chips or cracks. Hand painted. For further information, please refer to the pictures.
PROVENANCE: 1. From an old collection, New York, USA, 2002-2020; 2. Antique Arena Inc, Brooklyn, NY, USA, February 13, 2021 (the winner will receive this information); 3. Our sale of this item adds another layer of provenance (please print this page). History of sale is very IMPORTANT for serious collection.
DIMENSIONS: H. 3 1/4 inches (8.2 cm), L. 6 1/4 inches (15.9 cm).
ESTIMATED PRICE: $1,000 - $5,000 (significantly lower than today's market price). You have a GREAT CHANCE to purchase a rare item for your collection, and over the years, its price will only INCREASE.
HISTORY of SALES: A few years ago, Russian porcelain match holder were sold on Live Auctioneers and Sotheby's for $4,650 (9 years ago), $6,000 (2 years ago), $6,500 (5 years ago), and $8,850 (11 years ago) - please refer to the screenshots for details. Today, prices have significantly increased compared to those of 5-10 years ago.
WARRANTY: The buyer has 5 days to inspect items for originality, valued at up to $5,000, and 10 days for items valued at $5,000 or more. Items can be returned to the seller for a refund; please refer to the Terms for more details.
NO RESERVE: Most of the auctioned items have NO reserve price. Among the remaining items, there are reserve prices set at incredibly low levels, typically ranging from 30-40% of the low estimate price.
PAYMENT: Payment can be made with a Credit Card, Zelle, PayPal (for international bidders), Wire Transfer, Check, or Money Order. You can also suggest other methods of payment. Canadian winners can make payments to a Canadian Bank in CAD via Check, Money Order, Wire Transfer, or Interac e-Transfer.
PAY in PARTS - HOW it WORKS: You can pay for any item over a period of 3-6 months. To get started, please make a 10% deposit, and the item will be reserved for you. 10% means - if you won an item for $550, your minimum first payment equals $55. Simply make the deposit using any method listed on the invoice. The remaining balance can be paid in installments over up to 6 months at your convenience. The items will be sent to you once the full payment is made. NO interest will be added. Over the past few years, many people have found this option to be very HELPFUL. Even PayPal RECENTLY added the possibility to 'Pay in Parts' (please note: we have been using it for a few years!).
FREE SHIPPING: For item valued at $5,000 or more, domestic shipping is FREE. For other items, domestic shipping costs by registered mail range from $18.85 to $24.85 - much lower than in other places. Additionally, for XPress post shipping, the costs range from $48.85 to $68.85 (XPress post offers 100% safety; according to our experience, packages sent by XPress post have never been lost). There are NO pick-up fees, NO handling fees, and NO transportation fees. Combined shipping is available, and the shipping fee for each additional item is ONE DOLLAR.
CERTIFICATE: Looking to purchase an antique GIFT from us for someone else? Our Gift Certificates, available for any amount, are a great option to allow them to select items of their choice! Each Gift certificate is valid for ONE YEAR. You will have this Certificate in your hand. It is a very Unusual and Intelligent gift. Please email us for details. Selling on consignment.
NEW: Buyers who are satisfied with our service and give us a 5-star rating will receive FREE domestic shipping for ONE YEAR !!
WELCOME: We welcome new bidders and will ship the item according to your instructions.
EXCHANGE: If you find an item in our auction that you like, you have the option to exchange it for your collectible items of equivalent estimated value. Additionally, you can use your items as PART of the PAYMENT for a winning item; please feel free to inquire about this new and exciting feature.
PLEASE NOTE: If you want to buy this item, please make a bid now. Any offer is welcome. Lots that do NOT have any bids or have only ONE bid on them will be CLOSED three days before the auction starts and will not be included in it. Currently, there are 700+ items available for preview, but there will be ONLY 400 items in the Live Auction. Please bid NOW.

HISTORY: Francis Gardner, an English timber merchant, settled in Russia in 1746 and, after twenty years in the timber trade, founded, on March 7, 1766, Russia's first privately owned porcelain factory near the village of Verbilki, the Dmitrov uezd, Moscow gubernia. Archives and surviving porcelain samples give a full case-history of the earliest Russian porcelain undertaking. The fulfillment by the factory in 1780-1785 of the orders of the TSAR's court for large dinner-sets, signified the full mastery of the techniques of porcelain production, which brought it fame and recognition among the collectors and lovers of porcelain pottery. So much so, that the trademark "G”, the initial letter of the name "Gardner”, boldly made an appearance on the porcelain pieces produced in the village of Verbilki. In the early nineteenth century, the Gardner factory was shifted to the production of sculptures in the national Russian style, for which it gained a wide renown and which continued into the late nineteenth century. Artistically superb, the nineteenth-century Verbilki porcelain counts among the pick of decorative applied arts. The take-over of the factory in 1892 by Matvei Kuznetsov, a monopoly porcelain manufacturer in Russia, was another milestone since Kuznetsov, although he continued with Gardner's trademark, was keen on mass-producing cheap porcelain to conquer the home and foreign porcelain markets and compete successfully with his tenacious rivals. Under Kuznetsov the Verbilki produce gained in the technical standard but lost its artistic qualities, with decor confined, in the main, to mechanic painting techniques.

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