a monumental porcelain centerpiece with gilt-bronze mounts, imperial porcelain manufactory, st. petersburg, period of nicholas I (1825-55)

comprising eight jardinières with gilt-bronze mounts, mounted on central column of powder blue and white with sculpted acanthus decoration, the four upper vases decorated with allegories of music, the arts, humanities with putti and with brightly colored parrots, all in reserves bordered with gilded scrolls against a powder blue ground, the four lower urns with a continuous band of flowering plants against an aubergine ground, the porcelain with blue Nicholas I cypher marks, the later mahogany-veneer wood base applied with a porcelain boss with later cap

Purchased from the government of the Netherlands in 1921 by Thomas J. Gill, buyer for the Kansas City department store Emery, Thayer, Bird
Judge Ralph S. Latshaw (1865-1932) and Mrs. Nellie Latshaw, née Lewers (1865-1939), purchased from the above
Mary Latshaw, later Caldwell, by descent
Mrs. Paul M. Miller, sister of the above, by gift
Purchased by a private collector from the above

some later repairs to porcelain; otherwise overall good condition
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The decoration of the porcelain and the quality of the gilt bronze on this impressive centerpiece show strong connections to items produced by the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory and the Chopin Bronzeworks for the dowry of Grand Duchess Alexandra Nicholaevna (1825-1844) for her 1843 marriage to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel and now housed in the collection of the Schloss Fasanerie, Eichenzell, near Fulda.  Under a law promulgated by Paul I in 1797, all of the Russian Grand Duchesses were provided with lavish dowries comprising gold and silver services, glass services, furniture, icons, porcelain, gilt bronzes, and fine linens.  The porcelain component was particularly large and included porcelain table, tea, and coffee services as well as porcelain decorations such as monumental vases, jardinières, light fixtures, etc.  The so-called "Sèvres blue" color scheme that predominates throughout this centerpiece was selected by several of Nicholas' daughters for the porcelain of their dowry services (fig. 1). The distinctive, profuse floral bands decorating the larger of the four vessels are nearly identical to those painted on a large and impressive jardinière in the dowry of Alexandra Nicholaevna (fig. 2). When Alexandra died in childbirth in 1844, the Prince was permitted to keep the dowry, as was stipulated in the marriage contract.  Most of it is now housed in Schloss Fasanerie, but significant portions passed to other members of the Friedrich Wilhelm's family and are now distributed throughout Europe. Given the stylistic and decorative similarities, it is possible that, if not actually part of the dowry, the centerpiece was a gift to a member of the House of Hesse-Kassel or to one of Nicholas I's sisters, Anna Pavlovna, Queen Consort of the Netherlands (1795-1865) or Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach(1786-1859) in the 1840s. The jardinières that make up the centerpiece suggest that the piece was intended as an imperial gift to a woman. On the dowry of Alexandra Nicholaevna, see Die Mitgift einer Zarentochter: Meisterwerke russischer Kunst des Historismus, Eurasberg, 1997, and, on the collections of Anna Pavlovna, see Anna Pavlovna En Het Russissche Hof 1795-1865: Kostuum Uit De Collectie Van De Hermitage En Pavlovsk / Anna Pavlovna and the Russian Court 1795-1865: Costumes from the Collection of the Hermitage and Pavlovsk, Palais Het Loo, 1995. It is not entirely clear that the current configuration of this monumental centerpiece, now raised on a wood base, reflects the original intent of the Manufactury. However it was illustrated in this form in a pre-1954 article in a Kansas City newspaper which also refers to the sale in 1921 to Thomas J. Gill for Emery, Thayer, Bird

We are grateful to Dr. Wasilissa Pachomowa-Göres and Sara J. Nyman of the Kansas City Public Library for their assistance in researching this centerpiece.