"Cobalt mesh": history and features of the drawing

There are many beautiful designs on porcelain, but the most popular was and remains the "cobalt mesh" design, which has won over many art connoisseurs. Such dishes can be used for special occasions or simply put in a prominent place to decorate the interior.

This pattern first appeared in 1945, after which it began to be used as a classic version of the pattern on products. Lomonosov porcelain factory... It was at this plant that the master worked who invented this pattern, but at the very beginning it was performed in a completely different color - gold. The "cobalt net", familiar to us, was invented by the famous artist of those times, Anna Yatskevich. She came to the factory after an internship and began working at the newly opened art laboratory.

Porcelain dishes at the Lomonosov porcelain factory began to be produced immediately after the end of the war. It was only in 1946 that the artist created and put on display a mesh that was no longer gold, but a cobalt one. How much patience it takes to start manually painting porcelain with a brush! At first glance, it may seem that it is an ordinary geometric pattern, unremarkable, but at the same time beautiful and austere.

A few years later, this drawing became famous all over the world: an exhibition was held in Brussels, it was there that the LFZ (Lomonosov Porcelain Factory) exhibited its beautiful specimens, and among them - sets with a mesh pattern.Of course, the plant did not strive for fame and recognition, but simply wanted to show what products it produces and in what quantities. But the plant received its award for Anna Yatskevich's service, although the set on display was not prepared as an exhibit, because it had already been made long before that.

Unfortunately, the artist did not live up to that time and did not find out that her author's pattern became popular all over the world. Although after her there were a lot of beautiful patterns on porcelain, it was this one that brought her the greatest fame. Also, all the products of that time had one more feature - the individual signature of the artist, in our time they simply put a seal with her initials.

There are several versions. In the first case, Yatskevich took the "Own" service as a basis, which was made according to a special order for Empress Elizabeth.

According to the second version, Anna spent her whole life in besieged Leningrad, she studied at an art school and went to work at a factory. Quite often I saw how the spotlights come together at night, and maybe the glass, sealed with white paper, gave her the idea of ​​creating such a picture. And this is how the first original pattern on porcelain dishes appeared.

But already in the modern world, experts made comparisons of these two drawings, and found that there is practically no similarity here, since the “cobalt mesh” was made with cobalt underglaze, and the pattern was interesting and unique.

It is her drawing that is the symbol of all Russian porcelain.

There is one more feature here - this is a pencil for painting, it may have been ordinary, but instead of a rod, it used porcelain paint. The manufacturer of this pencil was the Sacco and Vanzetti factory.

None of the plant's artists liked this pencil, and Yatskevich chose it and painted her first set. This pencil was uneven, and the drawing fell in a wave, but later they began to use paints. And today, special hollows are knocked out on the dishes and paint is already applied on them. And until now, it is the first painted service that has survived and is located as an exhibit in the Russian Museum.

After that, at the LFZ and IPZ (Imperial Porcelain Factory), they began to decorate all appliances and utensils with "cobalt netting": coffee sets, cups, vases and much more.

The Imperial Factory was founded in 1744 in St. Petersburg - then it was the only factory that was engaged in the production of porcelain. It was there that the dishes for Catherine the Great were produced, and a tea set was made, the dish of which had the monogram of Count Grigory Orlov. The production was able to withstand the difficult post-war times; the Vinogradov factory, which also produces porcelain, can be put on a par with it.

The IPZ produced a set of dishes "a cup with a lid and a saucer" intended for the wife of Paul I, it was the only one in stock, no more similar sets were produced. In the heyday of the 19th century, the plant began to produce sets for the Romanov family.

Today, the IPE produces fine porcelain, it includes porcelain sets, various figurines, and it is in this production that bone china is made, which is nowhere else in the world. All products are painted and painted by hand, after which they are covered with gold plating. It also has its own seal, which symbolizes that the product is not a fake, but real Lomonosov porcelain, and it cannot be confused with any other.

Today you can even find glass goblets on which the "cobalt net" pattern is applied.

Such porcelain can be called royal, it is produced by Imperial factory... It is a thin material, tones beautifully and has a perfect white color. They call him bone because of the burnt flour of cattle bones included in its composition.

All work on the production of products is carried out almost by hand, handles for mugs and other small products are assembled and glued by the hands of craftsmen. The drawing is also applied to the products by hand, with the exception of some moments when a spray bottle is used. Products such as plates and saucers are made by pressing the material and then firing it.

Today, this blue and gold pattern has not lost its popularity. But only the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory has the rights to such porcelain and products made from it.... These dishes are used for special occasions and tea parties, and, for example, a vase for napkins will look great on the table as a decoration.

The plant produces not only exclusive sets, plates and dishes, but also manufactures products for everyday use. The products of the Lomonosov plant are exhibited at all international exhibitions abroad, famous items are kept in museums around the world. Several well-known auctions are fighting for the right to own the products of this plant.

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