Grasshopper/Cancer/June: a Soviet porcelain figure from the ‘Signs of the Zodiac’ series, A.M. Lukin after the design by V.V. Kuznetsov, Lomonosov Porcelain Factory, Leningrad, 1928

The 'Signs of the Zodiac' series, also known as 'Months of the Year', was originally conceived by Kuznetsov in 1916. He continued developing the series after the Revolution, taking inspiration from the traditional medieval calendar which associated each month with a different aspect of agricultural or seasonal work. The six models in the series depict the first six months of the year, represented in chronological order by: a water carrier; a fisherman; a shepherd; a woodcutter; a pair of mowers; a young child on a grasshopper's back.

In 1925, Kuznetsov won gold medal for these models at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. He again presented the series in 1932 at the 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Artists of the RSFSR. The success of these models both in domestic and international exhibitions led to them being created for both domestic and foreign markets throughout the 1920s.

Only three complete sets of the figures are known: they are held in the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the State Russian Museum and State Historical Museum.