A porcelain plate from Her Majesty Elizabeth Petrovna's Own Service, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St Petersburg, circa 1760

with scalloped border, painted with pink flowerheads on a raised radiating gilt trellis, with black Imperial eagle, incised production marks 5, II and another illegible in the paste

Very good condition. Paint loss to some of the flowers on the cavetto, some of which is visible in the painted catalogue illustration. Minor firing flaws throughout, the foot with a few minor chips and the centre of the base with glazing losses.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (reigned 1741-1761), a daughter of Emperor Peter I, was a great patron of the arts and culture in Russia. Her rule saw the founding of institutions such as the University of Moscow and the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. One of her greatest legacies was the 1744 foundation of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory in St. Petersburg, an institution which has continued to function to the present day. Early attempts sponsored by her father and her predecessor Anna Ioannovna (reigned 1730-1740) were unsuccesful and it was only during Elizabeth's reign that the ambition of creating Russian porcelain on Russian soil was realised thanks to the experimetns of Dmitrii Vinogradov (1720-1758). The initial production consisted of small, but delightful, pieces such as cane handles and snuffboxes. By 1756 Vinogradov and his workers designed and constructed a kiln large enough to produce a full table service. The manufactory's first service was Empress Elizabeth's Own (Sobstvennyi) Table and Dessert Service, initially designed for twenty-five persons. As Natalia Sipovskaia notes, "each piece and every detail of its decor - from the molded trellis pattern to each garland of flowers - was molded and sculpted by hand."  For further details, see I. Popova and N. Sipovskaia's essays on the manufactory's earliest services in Shedevry russkogo farfora XVIII veka iz sobraniia galerei "Popov i Ko.,"  Moscow, 2009, pp. 52-53; 56-62.