English: A Russian Porcelain Plate from a Military Service, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St. Petersburg, Period of Alexander II (1855-1881), dated 1882
the reverse titled in Cyrillic
1st Cavalry Division /
His Majesty's 1st Moscow Life Dragoons Regiment /
His Majesty the King of Bavaria's 1st St. Petersburg Lancers' Regiment /
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Denmark's 1st Sumy Hussars Regiment
from a painting by Charlemagne, signed N. Semenov and dated 1882; also with green Imperial cypher of Alexander II
Porcelain
diameter 9 3/4 in.
24.8 cm
the cavetto realistically painted with various members of the First Cavalry Division of the Imperial Russian Army; an officer of the First Moscow Life Dragoons Regiment is shown standing next to his horse at left and members of the First St. Petersburg Lancers and the First Sumy Hussars are shown on horseback at center, other members of these regiments stand or ride in the background, the borders gilded and incised with ribbon-tied branches of oak and laurel divided by an incised image of the Imperial State Seal, a double-headed, triple-crowned eagle with the coats-of-arms of various cities across its chest and wings, the foot also gilded.
The Imperial Porcelain Manufactory made Military Plates from the Second Gold Series in the 1880s and production coincided at the beginning of the decade with the end of the Series with Lavender Rims (circa 1866-1886). As is the case with this plate, whiteware from the era of Alexander II (1855-1881) is occasionally painted in the era of Alexander III (1881-1894). The new series is largely copied from designs by Adolf Iosifovich Charlemagne (or Sharleman, 1826-1901), a battle painter, Professor at the Academy of Arts and Court Painter. Unlike earlier series, Charlemagne groups members of different regiments, in this case all members of the First Cavalry Division.