366 - RUSSIA, IMPERIAL PORCELAIN MANUFACTORY, SAINT PETERSBURG, NICHOLAS II ERA (1894–1917)

RUSSIA, IMPERIAL PORCELAIN MANUFACTORY, SAINT PETERSBURG, NICHOLAS II ERA (1894–1917) Multicolored porcelain serving plate from a major court service A circular plate with a multilobed rim, made of hard-paste porcelain with rich painted and gilded decoration, the center of the plate finely adorned with a large bouquet of flowers, the cut-out rim featuring a background alternating between areas of purple and sky-blue, richly embellished with foliage, garlands, and combed patterns in matte and glossy gold. The decoration also includes four circular medallions in shades of purple depicting animal and hunting scenes (a deer, an elk, a duck, and a wild wolf in the undergrowth), as well as a floral medallion and a polychrome medallion featuring autumn fruits. Marked on the reverse with Emperor Nicholas II’s monogram (“H II”) in green under a crown. Diameter: 25 cm This plate attests to the virtuosity of the painters at the imperial manufactory under the last Tsar, combining the delicate art of floral painting with intricate animal miniatures reserved for the ceremonial services of the imperial palaces (such as the famous Purple Service or the Tsarskoye Hunting Sets).