A Russian Porcelain Leaf-Shaped Dish from the Service for the Order of St. Vladimir, Gardner Porcelain Manufactory, Verbilki, 1783-1785

oval, molded as a grape leaf and realistically painted in shades of green and yellow with pink veins, the center painted with the star of the order with the Cyrillic motto Polza, chest i slava (Usefulness, Honor and Glory) surrounded by the sash and cross of the order, with handle molded and painted to resemble a stem, raised on a shaped foot.

some rubbing to gilding
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In 1782, five years after Catherine's Cabinet had ordered the first three of the Order Services, the Empress founded the Order of St. Vladimir, in part to mark the twentieth anniversary of her accession to the throne. For the new order, her Cabinet ordered the largest service thus far with a total of 120 covers. Credited with having brought Christianity to Russia, Prince Vladimir was canonized by the Orthodox church and was called "equal to the apostles." In Russian, this is rendered as Sviatoi Ravnoapostolnyi Kniaz Vladimir and thus the Cyrillic letters SRKV appear on the star depicted at the center of each plate. The Service for the Order of St. Vladimir was first used at the Winter Palace at the ceremony held on the saint's feast day, September 22, 1785.

Undoubtedly, the various leaf-shaped dishes are one of the most interesting aspects of the Order Services. As is well known, the services were based on the forms of the large and formal Berlin Service, a gift from Frederick II of Prussia to Catherine the Great in 1772. In addition to baskets for fruit and cakes, the Berlin service included a number of leaf-shaped dishes. In contrast to the pale originals made in Berlin, the Russian plates are vibrantly-colored and are a lively presence on the table.