Porcelain with white glaze, polychrome and golden on-glaze painting
Germany, presumably 19th century
Design of the Gotzkowsky relief: Johann Friedrich Eberlein, 1741-1745
Manufactured by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
Underglaze blue crossed swords mark, red on-glaze Cyrillic mark ‘? .?.’ of The Hermitage in St. Petersburg
Lobed plate with Gotzkowsky relief with raised flowers in mirror and flag
Polychrome floral bouquet in the mirror
Floral bouquets and Imperial Russian double-headed eagle to the upper rim of the flag
St. Andrew's cross with the letters ‘SAPR’ standing for Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae to the lower rim of the flag
Edge adorned with golden rim
Diameter: 24.5 cm
Very good condition
High quality reproduction of a plate from the Coronation Service of Tsar Peter III and Sophie Auguste Friedericke von Anhalt-Zerbst

The St. Andrew's service was a gift from Augustus III of Poland to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna I to celebrate the wedding of the future Catherine the Great in 1745. In 1911, it reached the Gatchina Palace, later the Hermitage. A large part was auctioned in 1928 on behalf of the UdSSR trade mission at Rudolf Lepke, Berlin. Today, still about 170 parts are on display in the Hermitage, of which only 34 are originals of the 18th century. The other pieces – including the present plate - are later completions.

The plate shows the Imperial Russian double-headed eagle and the St. Andrew's cross with the letters ‘SAPR’ Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae on the flag. The underside bears the underglaze blue crossed swords of Meissen. The plate is in very good condition, showing minimal traces of use. The glaze is abraded in the area of the swords mark. The diameter of the plate is 24.5 cm.



Meissen

Porcelain has been known in Europe since the 13th Century, but always had to be imported from China. Thus it was mostly of lower quality – the Chinese rarely gave their best ware to the foreigners – and extremely expensive. Europeans tried to copy Chinese porcelain for centuries but only in 1708 managed to create real porcelain – in Meissen. The manufacturer’s brand, the crossed swords in blue, has been in use since 1722 and is still a guarantee for the porcelain’s high quality. Meissen celebrated its 300 years of existence in 2008. Quality has always been the number one criteria for Meissen and the company goes as far as to have its own mine to win the needed kaolin from, also known as china clay, for production. It takes several years to reach the degree of a ‘master painter’ in Meissen but judging by the quality of the painting, it is definitely worth it.

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