Russian porcelain plate (Imperial Manufactory, St. Petersbur - Lot 60

Russian porcelain plate (Imperial Manufactory, St. Petersburg), mid-19th century Dated 1844, period of Nicholas I, inscribed on the reverse in Cyrillic View of the Anichkov Palace and signed S. Doladugin. Of contoured form, with polychrome decoration in the center of a city view with numerous figures in a gold medallion, the wing with gold decoration of large flowering palmettes standing out against a green background, white and gold frieze on the rim, minor enamel retouching, minor wear. D : 23,5 cm Provenance: from the service commissioned for the marriage of the Grand Duchess of Russia Alexandra Nikolaïevna (1825-1844) to the Duke Frédéric de Hesse-Cassel, in 1844. Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolayevna was the fourth daughter of Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna, and the first wife of Frederick of Hesse-Cassel. Unfortunately stricken with tuberculosis before her marriage, she died in childbirth on August 10, 1844 in Tsarkoe-Selo. She never had time to leave Russia for her husband's country; only the service, which was part of her dowry and had already been sent to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, remained at her husband's disposal. The order for this service was placed on July 28, 1843, one month after the official announcement of their engagement. On August 9, the details of the order were finalized, specifying that 48 plates were to be decorated with views of Saint Petersburg based on lithographs by Ferdinand Victor Perrot (1808-1841). As there weren't that many available, the Imperial Manufactory obtained permission to use different sources. A plate with a pale yellow background, showing a different view of the Anichkov Palace, was sold by MacDougall's, London, on June 5, 2019, lot 324.