Mercury with his attributes, a winged helmet and sandals, seated on a treasure chest in his chariot on a cloud base, steering two ravens which pull the chariot, before him a cockerel, to the foreground a small genius with purse and short sword, to the obverse curved and angular stepped base with gilt rims, pink bands and gilt meander relief, flat reverse, porcelain, polychrome and gilt figural group, height 30 cm, length 44 cm, small repair, 2 associated parts, Meissen, underglaze blue sword mark, 1st+2nd quality, mid-19th cent., model nos 30, 30, former nos 70, 70, model by J. J. Kändler February 1774 (Ru)

Lit.: Meissen für die Zaren, Porzellan als Mittel sächsisch-russischer Politik im 18. Jh., exh. cat. Dresden 2004, p. 113, ill. 173;
Mercury, god of merchants and thieves, the ravens may be seen as thieving in this context, the cockerel as calling on man to wake up. According to Homer’s Hymn to Hermes, Mercury deceives mortal man during a murky night. The small genius makes reference again to the god of trade, in that he holds a purse in his right hand. The ‘Mercury’ group was executed as a commission from Catherine II of Russia for the Pavilion at the Rodelbergen in Oranienbaum.