A porcelain figure of Catherine the Great as Astraea, Gardner Porcelain Manufactory, Verbilki, circa 1785

wearing diadem, stola and palla, holding staff of justice in her right hand and a model of the Temple of Vesta in her left, with a Roman helmet and sheathed sword at her feet, with blue crossed sword mark

One point of the crown re-attached and the index finger of the right hand replaced by a professional restorer. The crown having been previously repaired and re-gilt. The lower half of the staff and thumb having been previously replaced. Kiln dirt and minor firing flaws throughout, including a crack around the ankle and back of the left foot. The reverse hem of the dress with wear to the glazing.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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While regularly portrayed as Minerva, this representation of Catherine the Great as Astraea demonstrates a subtle shift in the Empress' personal iconography. In ancient Greek mythology Astraea, a celestial virgin, was the last of the immortals to remain on earth during the Golden Age. Being closely associated with Dike (Latin Justitia), Astraea offers an opportunity to present an image of incorruptible justice, peace and prosperity. In this instance the warlike attributes of Minerva, which appear on earlier portrayals of Catherine in that guise, lie at her feet as a reminder to the viewer of the Empress' continued wisdom and less belligerent approach. This esoteric choice of subject matter may also be connected to Freemasonry, as the first Grand Masonic lodge in St Petersburg, founded on 20 May 1775 only to close on 22March 1776, was named the Astraea. It re-opened on 30 September 1815.

The Gardner porcelain manufactory owed the success of its early years to technology and skills brought by Johann Miller from the Imperial Russian and the German manufactories at Meissen and Berlin. Miller had worked in St Petersburg and came to Verbilki in the 1770s accompanied by two German assistants, a Herr Meissner and Joachim Kaestner. 

It is likely that Francis Gardner employed Gavriil Ignatievich Kozlov (1738-1791) to assist with the design of this figure. As a Professor of the Academy of Arts, a director of the Imperial Tapestry manufactory and designer of several allegories for Catherine the Great as well as porcelain table service commissions, Kozlov was well placed to execute such a design. Furthermore this figure is likely to be among the designs executed by Kozlov for Prince Potemkin in 1792, for which Kozlov's widow received significant sums (see RGADA fond 11, ed. khr. 902). Gardner would have been keen to employ his best resources in order to compete with productions of the Imperial manufactory such as the allegorical sculptural group of the Jassy Peace-Treaty (illustrated Russian Porcelain in the Hermitage Collection, Leningrad, 1973, pl. 27) and indeed chemical analysis of the present lot indicates levels of calcium, silicone and aluminium consistent with other high quality pieces produced by the Gardner factory in this period.