Ode to Joy

A bearded Jewish man with an umbrella from the 1870s, a stiff border guard from the 1930s, a serious but sexy female geologist from the 1950s and a young boy with a lemur on his head from 1999 are just a few of the fascinating and enlightening figurines presented in this monumental volume of Russian porcelain figures and objects from the world-renowned Yuri Traisman Collection. Ode to Joy chronicles the complicated and turbulent period in Russian history that spans from the early nineteenth century, through the Soviet period, up into the 1990s. Upon first inspection, the objects might appear to be no more than small-scale decorative sculptures and vessels, but in Russian society, particularly during times of censorship, porcelain acted as a vehicle for social commentary. It was also considered a prestigious gift or indicator of political positioning. Real-life opera stars like Fedor Shaliapin, world leaders like Indira Ghandhi, literary characters like Chekhov's Belikov, presidents, czars, ballerinas, soldiers and intellectuals are all represented. This collectible volume explores the ways that porcelain was used in prerevolutionary and Soviet society and explicates its continued importance today.