A porcelain plate from a military service, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, period of Alexander II, 1875

the cavetto finely painted with officers and men from the 3rd Dragoon Guards Regiment of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and 4th Dragoon Guards Regiment of Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, copied from a series by Karl Piratsky, the lilac border decorated with ribbon-tied gilt oak and laurel wreath with Imperial eagle surmount, the reverse with an identifying inscription in Cyrillic, with blue and gree Imperial cyphers for Alexander II, dated 75 

This Military service was executed in two series in 1866 and in 1875. Each series consisted of only two examples of each plate, one for the Emperor, which was therefore destined for the Winter Palace and another for the Tsarevich, whose official residence was at the Annichkov Palace. The drawings were executed in the museum of the chief quartermaster's department under the supervision of the artist Piratsky.

Karl Karlovich Piratsky (1813-1871) was commissioned by Nicholas I in 1838 to provide watercolours for the Historical description of the uniforms and weapons of Russian soldiers, compiled according to the wish of His Majesty.