A truly beautiful set of five side plates made by Zik Konakovo Faience Plant in Kuznetsovo, Russia. The Konakovo Faience Plant is very interesting, as it was founded in 1809, it was one of the oldest in the history of the USSR before it closed in 2006 and by all accounts was the pride of the region. By 1991, it had capacity for 100 million products per year however by 1997 the steep decline was undeniable (in a story as old as time by bad business decisions and alleged corruption) and led to its eventual close in 2006.
These plates have the mark of the Zik Konakovo, therefore instead of being part of the mass produced part of the brand, it was produced by its studio arm. This does feel immediately obvious with these particular plates, the weight and feel are slightly heavier and chunkier and feel of very good quality. Each pattern is slightly different, using the same colouring making each piece unique even within the set. In a slight Rorschach test, I see a floral pattern, however my partner believes it’s abstract, to each their own!
Each plate measures at approximately 18cm in diameter and has the Zik Konakovo stamp to the back. One plate has a very small chip to the back as I have shown, otherwise they are in brilliant condition.
