A pair of Russian porcelain dinner plates from the Kremlin Service, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St. Petersburg, Period of Nicholas I (1825-1855), 1837-1838

centered with stylized swirling foliage, the remainder of the plate with elongated palmettes in blue-green and black on a richly ornamented ciselé gilt ground, the rim painted with a band of simulated red and green jewels, the foot with gilt band, both with blue Imperial cypher of Nicholas I and red Kremlin Palace inventory numbers

richly gilded, overall good condition; both plates with surface wear and scratching to gilding and wear and surface dirt on the foot consistent with age and use; one plate with inherent dark spots visible in the paste from firing (kiln dirt).
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This service was commissioned for use in the Great Kremlin Palace, the official Moscow residence for the Imperial family, when the process of renovating, and ultimately rebuilding, the palace began in 1837. The palace was designed by the architect Konstantin Ton (1794-1881) with a brief from the Emperor to create a building in the Russian Style showing the influence of Byzantium. The task of designing the new service for use in the residence fell to the talented student and future professor of the Academy of Arts Fedor Solntsev (1801-1892), who had been studying and recording Russian antiquities. He drew upon 17th-century metalwork as a model; in the case of these plates, the source was the interior of a richly jeweled tazza that was part of an ablution set belonging to Tsaritsa Natalia Kirillovna housed in the Kremlin Armory Museum. See T. Kudriavtseva, Russian Imperial Porcelain, St. Petersburg, 2003, pp. 130-132.