CERAMICS. 2 1 .') 



The artistic and technical activity of tlie Imperial manufactory acquires a pecul- 

 iar importance through its being an open school and direct nursery of special art 

 and knowledge for the other porcelain manufactories of Russia. These latter may 

 draw advantage from this school, in so far as it is possible to them, as well in the 

 nature of their commercial activity as in technical organization. Notwithstanding 

 the limited production of the Imperial manufactory the value of its articles annually 

 produced amounts to 100,000 roubles; it occupies 175 workmen. The manufactory 

 lias in its large and well-furnished rooms, 4 blast furnaces, with a return air 

 current. The mechanical driving power of the lathes is directly transmitted, at 

 greater distances, by compressed air from compressors. There are two steam engines 

 of 40 horse-power. Crusliing mills acting after the runners, built of quartzite, and 

 mechanical sieves w'ork wet mills (Nassmiihlen). 



In the mould division there are mechanical lathes for round moulds, a com- 

 pound set of rollers consisting of two roller systems with an intermediate lift by 

 the elevator, an automatic sorter, and a steam injector for blowing out the dust. In 

 the divisions for preparing the clay there are many cisterns, baking or drying. 

 Mei.ssen stoves, grinding apparatus (for the Gloukhovsky clay), 8 tubs in 3 stories for 

 keeping and rotting the clay, Phor's mechanical roller lathes for kneading the ready 

 mass before the working of it begins. 



After the wliite hall, where the moulding of the articles is cariied out. follows 

 the workshop of the sculptor. In the adjoining wings are the rooms of the painters 

 on porcelain. The great rooms of this division are, in their internal decoration, at 

 the same time a sort of museum of the productions of painting on porcelain. Near 

 these is the museum of the manufactory, which warehouses a remarkable collection 

 of artistic porcelain articles of foreign schools, and the productions of the manufac- 

 tory itself. 



The porcelain works of the Kornilovs, in the artistic productions of which the 

 talent of the school of the Imperial manufactory is expressed, was founded in 

 St. Petersburg by the former dealer in porcelain articles, M. S. Kornilov, in the 

 year 18.35. Before this time there was in St. Petersburg, on the Viborg side, the por- 

 celain manufactory of Batenin, founded after the war of 1812. This manufactory was 

 known during the life of its proprietor, till the year 1835, by its middling and cheap 

 sorts of wares. After the death of Batenin the works came under the management 

 of the Court of Wards, and was closed a short time afterwards. Among the artistic 

 productions specially belonging to the manufactory of Kornilov may be mentioned the 

 remarkable articles in the old Russian style, scoops, cups, plates with Russian orna- 

 ments, plates with paintings from Russian life, some of them by the genial hand of 

 Karasin, with typical scrolls and similar productions of a purely national character. 

 These productions of the manufactory of the Kornilovs are known, as was mentioned, 

 in America; from the year 1886 they have been imported into the United States for 

 the well known firm of Tiffany & Co., Union Square, New York; this firm is for 

 New York, the same as the Louvre for Paris, and has branches in London, 5 Argyll 

 Place, W., and in Paris, Avenue de TOpera. They are remembered also by the 

 visitors to the Paris Exposition of 18b9, at whicli th" greater part of the articles 

 exhibited by the Kornilovs was bought by Americans. 



The annual production of the manufactory amounts to 300,000 roubles and it 



