English: A porcelain plate from a military service, Imperial Porcelain Manufactury, St. Petersburg, period of Nicholas I (1825-1855), dated 1830

porcelain

diameter 9 3/8 in., 24 cm

the cavetto painted with a view of three members of the Imperial Palace Grenadiers in the Winter Palace, the border in tooled matte and burnished gold double-headed eagles representing one of the two versions of the State coat-of-arms during the reign of Nicholas I alternating with military trophies comprising the Grenadiers' distinctive bear skin hats with crossed rifle and saber set against a branch of laurel,

the reverse titled Officier Superieure, Sous-Officier et Tambour de la Compagnie des Grenadiers du Palais,

dated 1830, and signed by the painter P. Savelev; also with blue Imperial cypher of Nicholas I

Of all the military duties of different regiments shown on the magnificent series of military plates made at the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, guarding the Imperial family was surely the most prestigious. While the great majority of the plates show Russian officers and soldiers on maneuvers or at rest, the design for this plate is one of a few rare examples of a group of officers in a palace interior. The Palace Grenadiers had only just been formed in 1827 from junior officers of various Guard Regiments which had distinguished themselves during the Napoleonic Wars. The Emperor's decree of 2 (15) September 1827 establishing the new company explained their importance and role: "Wishing to mark My particular goodwill to those members of the lower ranks of the Life Guards, which demonstrated their courage in the Napoleonic Wars and have continued their faithful service and distinguished themselves by their diligence up to the very expiry of their term of service, I recognized the good of organizing from them at My court a special company under the name of the Palace Grenadiers so that they have been provided for throughout their lives and that their service will consist only of police surveillance in the Palaces where I will be staying." The role was much more than ceremonial; several members of the Palace Grenadiers died in the 1880 bombing of the Winter Palace in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Emperor Alexander III. For a second plate from this series with members of the Palace Grenadiers, see the Safra Collection, Sotheby's New York, 18 November 2011, lot 65. We are grateful to Dr. Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya for assistance in cataloguing this lot.