after a design by Piranesi, terminating in a bull's head and moulded with acanthus leaves and lotus flowers, the opaque blue bodies with a band of scrolling floral design, the rim moulded with leaf tips within gilt bands, supported on rectangular bases centred with lion masks and stiff leaf on tooled gilded ground, with partially erased inventory numbers and one with stamp 'Provereno 1928'    

Sold by order of the Soviet Republic by the Berlin dealer and auctioneer Rudolph Lepke, 1928-1929

The classical designs of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), first widely published in the 1760s, had a far reaching and enduring influence on decorative objects which lasted well into the 19^th century and beyond. While in general earlier imitators were faithful to Piranesi's works, later designers and craftsman borrowed and adapted from them, in keeping with the eclectic historicism of the 19^th century.  Such adaptation would not have been objectionable to Piranesi himself, who advocated the reassembling of ancient fragments into new forms.
Piranesi's engravings inspired porcelain artists throughout Europe. The first porcelain works created from his designs were introduced by John Flaxman (1755–1826) at Wedgwood in 1778.  In the late 18^th century, Piranesi's fame reached Russia and his influence can be seen on the Cabinet Service's garlands of flowers and views of Italy, decoration which is not a direct copy of Piranesi's engravings but inspired by them, simplified for use on porcelain. Despite stylistic changes that occurred throughout the 19^th century, Piranesi's classical aesthetic remained popular with Imperial porcelain masters.
The design of the present pair of rhytons is based on a marble funerary monument found in a tomb on the Via Appia outside Rome and engraved by Piranesi in Vasi, candelabri, cippi, sarcofagi, tripodi, lucerne, ed ornamenti antichi disegnati ed incisi dal Cav. Gio. Batt. Piranesi, Vol. I, 1778-1780.  (See also J. Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: The Complete Etchings, Vol. II, San Francisco, 1994, pl. 993, p. 1074).  In the ancient world, the rhyton was a bacchic vessel and later became the symbol for Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture and wheat, associated with fertility and abundance. 
The present rhytons are notable for the striking contrast between the intense blue ground and gilded decoration. The coat of matte blue glaze evokes the rich texture of velvet. 🌟Similar ground can be found on several objects produced by the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, including the celebrated 'Gossip girls' vase (Hermitage inv. no. 7354 a,b). The gilding simulates gi🃏lt-bronze mounts.