The Hermitage vase is the earliest surviving signed work by the master craftsman V.Ye. Kokovina. The unusual shape of the article (a flattened sphere) evoked a very negative reaction from the person who had commissioned it when it was brought to St Petersburg in 1816. It seems justified to suggest that it was intended to be complemented by bronze elements, but something happened to prevent the realization of the original idea. But perhaps over the long period it took to produce the vase, from 1802 to 1816, the customer's tastes changed markedly. Regarding the quality of the workmanship, all researchers make particular mention of the mirror-like finish and the precise lines of the vase.