An important Coalport dessert centre dish, from the Nicholas...

Hammer

£3,800

An important Coalport dessert centre dish, from the Nicholas I Service, circa 1845 made by command of Queen Victoria for presentation to Czar Nicolas I of Russia, painted in enamel colours and decorated with gilding, painted with the badge of the Russian Order of St. Andrew with panels to the rim with Orders of St. George, St. Alexander of Nevsky, St. Vladimir, St. Stanislaus and St. Anne, printed retailer's mark for A B and R P Daniell, 129 New Bond Street and 18 Wigmore Street, London, 40cm wide (restored) Provenance: Ivor Southorn Collection. Notes: This dessert dish originates from a service commissioned by Queen Victoria for Tsar Nicholas I during his official visit to England in 1844. This set, referred to as the 'Coalport Service' in Russia, consisted of 62 plates and was presented to St. Petersburg the following year. The design of the plates closely imitates the William IV service crafted by Flight, Barr, and Barr, which was initially designed to commemorate the Coronation of King William IV in 1831. However, the British emblems on the original design were substituted with Russian Orders to suit the occasion. The Tsar was so captivated by the elegance of the service that he decided to order an additional 124 matching plates from the Imperial Porcelain Factory. These plates were intended for use during official state banquets. Subsequently, in 1849, a coordinating dinner service was commissioned from Coalport. In 1934, a selection of plates from the original service was sold by the Narkomat for Foreign Trade. Nonetheless, a substantial number of the surviving pieces can be found in the State Hermitage Museum.