A Pair of Two-Handled Vases, Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg, 1839 (porcelain)

Each of ovoid form on spreading circular foot, the body of one vase finely painted with the The Singer after Jacob Ochtervelt, inscribed 'Ochterveld' (lower left) and signed in Cyrillic 'A: Nesterov' and dated 1839 (lower right), the body of the other vase finely painted with The Messenger after Gerard ter Borch, inscribed in Cyrillic 'ter Borch' (lower left) and signed 'N: Nesterov' and dated 1839 (lower right), within ciselé shaped foliate frames, centred on a field of gilt scrolling foliage on a glazed cobalt ground, the waisted flared cylindrical neck with everted rim and flanked by two later gilt-bronze handles formed as harpies' busts, the lower section gilt and moulded with rising acanthus, on a waisted gilt and blue banded socle and square ormolu base, marked inside necks with overglaze factory marks, one vase with further gilt inscription 'N. 2. 4. 7:'