A Russian Porcelain Plate from the Dowry Service of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St. Petersburg, 1795-1796

of circular, scalloped form, the cavetto painted with a view of Rome's Church of Sant'Andrea dalle Valle in a circular, gilded reserve, the border with a chain of pink rose blossoms and buds against a gilded ground.

Sotheby's London, December 15, 1995, lot 404

Some rubbing to the gilding, particularly on the central reserve and the inner portion of the border; the foot with a small chip
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.

Like the Cabinet Service which served as a model, the Dowry services for the granddaughters of Catherine the Great are decorated with bands of flowers and centered with Italianate scenes copied from grand illustrated sources such as Della Magnificenze di Roma antika e moderna. Da Giuseppe Vasi da Corleone (Rome, 1764) and Antichita Romane opera di Giambatista Piranesi (Rome, 1756). As this particular plate demonstrates, the designs sometime isolated the chosen monument and placed it in an imaginary landscape. The exuberant facade of Carlo Maderno's (1556-1629) Sant'Andrea della Valle, the basilica church of the Theatines Order in Rome, is set in a country landscape which stretches into the distance rather than the busy urban space of Rome. The service for Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna (1783-1801) was the first of the Dowry services and was already completed in 1796, well before her marriage to Joseph, Archduke of Austria and Palatine of Hungary (1776-1846) in 1799. Sadly, her life was cut short prematurely when she died of peurpural fever shortly after giving birth to a stillborn daughter in March 1801. Joseph donated a great portion of her dowry to the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest and the largest group of objects from this important service remains in that museum. On the service, see K. Tasnàdi-Marik, "Russkii farfor v Muzee prikladnogo iskusstva v Budapeshte," Acta historiae artium Academiae scientiarum hungaricae, 1954, pp. 81-98 and T. Kudriavtseva, Russian Imperial Porcelain, St. Petersburg, 2003, p. 68.