a russian porcelain easter egg, imperial porcelain manufactory, st. petersburg, 1845-1855

the front painted with a view of the Mount of Olives within an oval gilded frame, the remainder of the body gilded, a star within a sunburst in ciselé on the reverse, "Mount of Olives" inscribed in Cyrillic above the image, impressed factory mark of the cypher of Nicholas I within a circular frame   

slight rubbing to gilding; 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 image is copied from a lithograph by Grigory and Nikanor Chernetsov from the first volume of their series "Views of Palestine" (St. Petersburg, 1844) based on the journeys of 1842-43.  Although Easter eggs with copies after the Chernetsovs' views were produced into the 1860s, this egg bears a rare impressed mark of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory during the reign of Nicholas I.  On the series in general and this design, see Tamara Kudriavtseva and Harold A. Whitbeck, Russian Imperial Porcelain Easter Eggs, London, 2001, no. 44, pp. 76-77, 83.