plat en argent provenant du service impérial "Tula" par George Heming & William Chawner, Londres, 1776

In 1775 Russia was initially divided into 11 provinces, culminating in 40 by 1796. These provinces with their governors appointed by Empress Catherine, were to be supplied with silver services as befitted their Viceregal dignity. Initially the services were ordered from England, later, from Paris and Augsburg. In all a possible five services were ordered from London starting in 1774 for the Province of Tver, followed by Volynsk, Tula ordered in May 1776, and Yaroslav. Some mystery seems to surround the 5^th service. In 1797 all the services were `returned St. Petersburg on the orders of Paul I, who had a tendency to countermand his mother's orders and who was in need of silver for his new palace in the city'  (Pavlovsk). Today nothing remains of the Volynsk and Tver services in the Hermitage. Only one dish exists from the Yaroslav, and five platters and two candlesticks from the Tula service. However Four dishes from the Tula service were recently sold at Sothebys New York, 13 October, 2007, lots 109 and 110. lot 109 included another dish of the same size as the present example also numbered 7, which sold together with a larger dish numbered 3 (48.5cm) for $21,250. Lot 110 was for a pair numbered 6 (39.3cm) which sold for $22,500. George Hemming was brother to the Royal goldsmith Thomas Hemming. It is probable that the firm of George Hemming & William Chawner operated a collaborative business with the royal goldsmith Thomas Hemming, who was George's brother and who made the candlesticks from the Tula service