Gzhel blue and white porcelain tea caddy

This very pretty Gzhel porcelain tea caddy is marked 'Made in USSR' on the base, dating it to the Soviet era, probably around the 1980's. It has a hand painted blue floral on white design. It measures approximately 15cm high with the lid on, 9.5cm wide, 7.5cm deep. It's in immaculate, undamaged condition. 

The locality of Gzhel, near Moscow has been known for its ceramics production for hundreds of years, thanks to the clay found in this area. The Gzhel Porcelain Manufactory was established by Yakov Kuznetsov in 1818 and continues to produce hand painted items to this day. The blue and white decoration became popular in the 19th century. This example dates from the second half of the twentieth century.