Collectible Figural Pair: "Hutsuls – The Fiddler and His Beloved" (LKSF)

Ceramic composition featuring a Hutsul man with a violin and a Hutsul woman.

Material: Artistic ceramics (majolica / glazed earthenware), colored glazes, and hand-painted underglaze decoration using colored enamels.

Manufacturer: Lviv Experimental Ceramics and Sculpture Factory (LKSF), USSR / Ukrainian SSR.

Sculptors (Form Designers): Anatoliy and Mariya Kurochka—renowned masters of the Lviv school of ceramics.
Period of Creation: 1960s–1970s.
Condition: Excellent collectible condition for both figures. The ceramics are free of chips, cracks, or signs of restoration. The glaze retains its glossy sheen; there is a light, uniform craquelure (fine network of cracks), which is characteristic of authentic majolica from this period.
Set: Sold as a complete pair (2 figures: the musician and the young woman).

Exact catalog dimensions:
•Height of the "Hutsul Woman" figure: 20 cm – 21 cm.
•Width of the "Hutsul Woman" figure: 13 cm – 16 cm.
•Height of the "Hutsul Man with a Violin" figure: 20 cm.
•Width of the "Hutsul Man with a Violin" figure: 15 cm – 17 cm.

Professional description of the lot:
An exquisite and vibrant interior ensemble that embodies the authentic spirit of the Carpathian region through the lens of the Lviv school of decorative and applied arts. The composition consists of two independent figures. A young Hutsul man, wearing a traditional *krysan* (hat) and an embroidered shirt (*vyshyvanka*), sits playing a folk violin with great passion. Beside him sits a young Hutsul woman, wearing a wedding or festive headdress (a *peremitka* or headscarf); she listens to the melody with a tender, pensive expression, her hand pressed to her heart.
The sculptural form of both figures is characterized by soft, rounded, and streamlined contours—a hallmark of the majolica pieces produced by the Lviv Ceramics and Sculpture Factory (LKSF). The decoration is understated yet highly expressive: authentic details of traditional attire, ornamental patterns, and facial features are rendered with fine, contrasting lines in dark cobalt and brown, which harmonize beautifully with the colorful enamel accents. Coated in a thick layer of transparent glaze, the pieces possess a deep, luminescent sheen.
This series is a cataloged line and holds significant artistic and collectible value. Finding a complete pair—with the painted designs in perfectly matched condition—on the antique market today is a great stroke of luck for collectors of Ukrainian Soviet majolica.