In the years following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the former Imperial Porcelain Factory at St Petersburg, which had been established in 1744 to serve the needs of the Imperial Court, was renamed the State Porcelain Factory. It was given the task of becoming the supplier to the people as a whole' while also serving as an institute 'of crafts and skills for industry'. Inspired by contemporary events and radical artistic trends, the factory entered a new and vigorous period, producing ware that was a successful synthesis of revolutionary ideas and progressive design. In the absence of imported materials, locally produced pigments were developed, while native supplies of china clay were found to replace those previously purchased from England. Under the early leadership of Sergei Chekhonin, painters and designers were recruited to the service of the State, their task to celebrate the achievements and ideals of the new regime and inspire Soviet citizens to ever greater heights of endeavour and industry. As part of the 'agitprop' movements, 'agitational porcelain' - so called because it agitated for revolutionary political, social and artistic ideas -was decorated with aphorisms from sources as varied as the New Testament and the writings of Karl Marx.
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