Very fine antique cast-iron figure of cossack and girl , sitting on the horseback created in 1912 by famous russian manufacture Kasli after very popular figure by Eugene Lanceray(1875 - 1946). On the back of base it ´s stamped in russian: Kasli Z.(Zavod, in english: foundry, manufacture) with name of author G.Samoilin and dating : 1912.

Here is quotations from the article of Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts: "..First time Kasli Cast-iron moulding appeared in the middle of 19th century. The peculiarity of this sort of production in the row of the same products laid, first of all, in the clearness and the smoothness of the surface of the metal , and also in the skills of the craftsmen. The secret was in a great quality of iron, smelted on the fire from wooden coal, in the consistence of the forming sands and in the skills of the craftsmen.
The beginning of manufacturing Kasli ironing is associated with Mr. G. F. Zotov, Who in 1823 became the owner of mining district and brought to the Kasli works the skills of creating Art cast-iron moulding. The name of the first professional master was the graduate of The Art Academy Mr. M. D. Kanayev (1831-1884). Arriving to Kasli he opened a drawing school, where workers studied the art of drawings and moulding. The models by Kanayev were the prototypes to such famous sculptures as “The Cottage with Chicken Legs”, “The Gypsy-painter”, “The Frost-Demon”. After his death the academician of the sculpture N.R.Bakh (1853-1885) when came to Kasli he brought the figures created by his father R.I.Bakh (1819-1903) and there he continued to study the most talented workers. Thanks to the sculptures of the Bakhs the variety of forms became wider and Kasli school got such important relations with more popular Russian sculptors. The most famous castings belong to P.K.Klodt, E. A. Lansere, N.I. Liberikh (the authors of the shape). The same place takes the row of portraits of famous composers and writers by R.R. Bakh.
But the summit of Kasli craftsmen is Kasli cast iron Pavilion, designed by Russian architect Y.Y. Baumgarten (1867-1919) created to the World Art and Industry Exhibition in Paris in1900.
In 1914, when the factory had to make a good deal of military production the output of Art casting was greatly reduced. And in 1921 the grandson of P.K. Klodt K.A.Klodt was invited to Kasli where he worked out several new forms for casting. Some of them were a knife to cut the paper “Pioneer”, the containers for the pencils and the portrait of V. Lenin. In 1930s the factory started to produce meat grinders under the license of Swede, and Art casting was definitely forgotten. Only in the end of 40s a new top was taken by Kasli Art casting. Nowadays the quality of the sculptures are not so good, it wishes it would be better. But more often the masters at the works come back to old models. Now there are several own sculptors at the factory. Much attention is paid to the architectural casting, that we can see in the streets not only in Ekaterinburg but other Ural cities as well.

Inscription: signed in russian on the back of base and dated : Kasli Z(Zavod), G.Samoilin,1912.

Technique: cast-iron, black patina

Measurements: w 13 3/4 " x h 15 1/3" (35 x 39 cm)Condition: in very good condition