Country guide
Russian porcelain marks
Russian porcelain marks can record a factory, sovereign, company owner or later state identity. The Imperial Porcelain Manufactory was established in Saint Petersburg in 1744. Its crowned imperial ciphers belong to a different mark tradition from Soviet hammer-and-sickle devices and later factory monograms. The factory itself continued through changes of administration and name.
Key makers’ marks
12 marks
Imperial porcelain plant
Undated
IPP
porcelain · Saint Petersburg, Russia
Near the city of Saint Petersburg The plant was opened at the behest of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744 near Petersburg. The organizer of the production and the first craftsman was Dmitriy Ivanovich Vinogradov. Since the beginning of the ’s the first successful works were small objects, such as snuff boxes, cups, bottles, buttons, brooches inserts, pipes, handles for knives and forks. they began production of larger things (dishes, sets, vases, sculptures). till 1758 Vinogradov put on some products his own name tag in the form of the letter «W». A brand with the coat of arms of Saint Petersburg is also found: the two anchors and a crown over them. Sometimes they put a mark of Court Office «Ï.Ê.», which subsidized the plant. Later the brands were in the form of monograms and the crown of emperors. Brands of are usually green or gold underglaze. After the revolution the plant was nationalized and named State plant (ÃÔÇ). Brands ÃÔÇ were put with green and dark-blue colours under the glaze or by hand on the glaze. In 1936 plant was named after Lomonosov (ËÔÇ). Such brands are often overglaze made with the stamp or by hand of all colours. -1769 Eagle is in the paste or with dye. Monogram of Catherine II and the mark of Court Office.
Imperial porcelain plant
Undated
IPP
porcelain · Saint Petersburg, Russia
Near the city of Saint Petersburg The plant was opened at the behest of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744 near Petersburg. The organizer of the production and the first craftsman was Dmitriy Ivanovich Vinogradov. Since the beginning of the ’s the first successful works were small objects, such as snuff boxes, cups, bottles, buttons, brooches inserts, pipes, handles for knives and forks. they began production of larger things (dishes, sets, vases, sculptures). till 1758 Vinogradov put on some products his own name tag in the form of the letter «W». A brand with the coat of arms of Saint Petersburg is also found: the two anchors and a crown over them. Sometimes they put a mark of Court Office «Ï.Ê.», which subsidized the plant. Later the brands were in the form of monograms and the crown of emperors. Brands of are usually green or gold underglaze. After the revolution the plant was nationalized and named State plant (ÃÔÇ). Brands ÃÔÇ were put with green and dark-blue colours under the glaze or by hand on the glaze. In 1936 plant was named after Lomonosov (ËÔÇ). Such brands are often overglaze made with the stamp or by hand of all colours. -1769 Eagle is in the paste or with dye. Monogram of Catherine II and the mark of Court Office.
M.S. Kuznetsov plant
Undated
M.S
impressed, painted · red · porcelain. faience · Kuznetsovo / Konakovo, Tver province
M.S. Kuznetsov plant
Undated
M.S
impressed, painted · red · porcelain. faience · Kuznetsovo / Konakovo, Tver province
Imperial porcelain plant
Undated
IPP
porcelain · Saint Petersburg, Russia
Near the city of Saint Petersburg The plant was opened at the behest of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744 near Petersburg. The organizer of the production and the first craftsman was Dmitriy Ivanovich Vinogradov. Since the beginning of the ’s the first successful works were small objects, such as snuff boxes, cups, bottles, buttons, brooches inserts, pipes, handles for knives and forks. they began production of larger things (dishes, sets, vases, sculptures). till 1758 Vinogradov put on some products his own name tag in the form of the letter «W». A brand with the coat of arms of Saint Petersburg is also found: the two anchors and a crown over them. Sometimes they put a mark of Court Office «Ï.Ê.», which subsidized the plant. Later the brands were in the form of monograms and the crown of emperors. Brands of are usually green or gold underglaze. After the revolution the plant was nationalized and named State plant (ÃÔÇ). Brands ÃÔÇ were put with green and dark-blue colours under the glaze or by hand on the glaze. In 1936 plant was named after Lomonosov (ËÔÇ). Such brands are often overglaze made with the stamp or by hand of all colours. -1769 Eagle is in the paste or with dye. Monogram of Catherine II and the mark of Court Office.
Kornilov brothers plant
Undated
V.M
porcelain · Saint Petersburg, Russia
The plant was established by . Kornilova in . the plant was owned by her sons: Mikhail, Petr, Ivan and Vasiliy. In 1886 the «Partnership of Kornilov brothers» was established. Plant produced only very high quality . The exhibitions of 1839, awarded it with gold medals. In 1843 it gained the right to put the state coat of arms on the products. For the first time in Russia in 1881, chromolithography was introduced. It was closed in 1918. Red brand. Dark-blue brand.
Imperial porcelain plant
Undated
IPP
porcelain · Saint Petersburg, Russia
Near the city of Saint Petersburg The plant was opened at the behest of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744 near Petersburg. The organizer of the production and the first craftsman was Dmitriy Ivanovich Vinogradov. Since the beginning of the ’s the first successful works were small objects, such as snuff boxes, cups, bottles, buttons, brooches inserts, pipes, handles for knives and forks. they began production of larger things (dishes, sets, vases, sculptures). till 1758 Vinogradov put on some products his own name tag in the form of the letter «W». A brand with the coat of arms of Saint Petersburg is also found: the two anchors and a crown over them. Sometimes they put a mark of Court Office «Ï.Ê.», which subsidized the plant. Later the brands were in the form of monograms and the crown of emperors. Brands of are usually green or gold underglaze. After the revolution the plant was nationalized and named State plant (ÃÔÇ). Brands ÃÔÇ were put with green and dark-blue colours under the glaze or by hand on the glaze. In 1936 plant was named after Lomonosov (ËÔÇ). Such brands are often overglaze made with the stamp or by hand of all colours. -1769 Eagle is in the paste or with dye. Monogram of Catherine II and the mark of Court Office.
About Russian porcelain marks
The Saint Petersburg works received the Lomonosov name in 1925; the intertwined Cyrillic ЛФЗ mark became closely associated with its later production. The historic Imperial name was restored in 2005. These company-name changes provide context, but they do not give one universal use interval for every cipher or monogram. Exact lettering, crown and accompanying numerals still need comparison.
Private factories supplied another large part of Russian porcelain. Francis Gardner founded his Verbilki works near Moscow in 1766. The Kuznetsov family developed a network of factories, including Dulyovo from 1832 and other separately located works. A Kuznetsov name can therefore require an additional town line, such as Тверь, to identify the particular factory.
Read Cyrillic as Cyrillic: Н resembles a Latin H, while Р resembles a Latin P. Keep country wording, painter’s numbers and quality or grade signs separate from the main factory mark. A sovereign’s cipher, a double-headed eagle or USSR export wording is shared context rather than a complete maker identification. Compare the body, model and decoration with the exact mark format, especially on later reproductions of imperial or Soviet designs.
How to read the marks
Photograph the complete crown, cipher or monogram with all nearby digits and wording.
Transcribe Cyrillic letters before making a Latin-letter search; preserve spellings and hard signs such as Ъ.
Read a factory name and town line separately, especially within Kuznetsov-era stamps.
Distinguish an imperial sovereign’s cipher from a private company’s eagle-and-name emblem.
Keep СССР, USSR, MADE IN USSR and later country wording with the factory mark when comparing periods.
Read grade colours, painter’s numbers and model numbers using that factory’s own system.
Compare reproductions with the original model and mark format rather than dating from imperial or Soviet imagery alone.
Key makers
Imperial Porcelain Manufactory / Lomonosov
Saint Petersburg, formerly Petrograd and Leningrad, Russia · Founded 1744; Lomonosov name from 1925; Imperial name restored 2005.
Porcelain services, figures, decorative vessels and art porcelain.
Gardner factory and Verbilki successors
Verbilki, near Moscow, Russia · Founded by Francis Gardner in 1766; later factory ownership and state identities.
Porcelain tableware and figures, including street vendors and artisans.
Kuznetsov family factories
Multiple works, including Dulyovo and Tver, Russia · Dulyovo founded 1832; wider family factory network developed through the 19th century.
Porcelain and faience tableware, figures and other ceramic products.
Popov factory
Russia, near Moscow · Active in the 19th century; illustrated museum figure c. 1850.
Porcelain figures and decorated wares.
Look-alikes & fakes
Imperial ciphers and private-factory eagles
A double-headed eagle can accompany more than one factory name. Read the name or sovereign’s cipher beneath it rather than assigning the Imperial factory from the eagle alone.
Cyrillic ЛФЗ and Latin letter readings
The flowing Lomonosov factory monogram is Cyrillic. Preserve its three letters instead of reading it as unrelated Latin initials.
USSR wording and present-day Russia
The Soviet Union included factories in several republics. USSR wording alone does not place manufacture within present-day Russia; use the actual factory and town.
Later imperial and Soviet-style reproductions
Historic models and decoration have been reproduced. Compare the exact factory mark, body and painting with the period being claimed.
Related marks
865 marks
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