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 5th Cavalry Division. His Imperial Majesty Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich's 5th Kargopolskii Dragoons Regiment. His Imperial Highness Archduke Albert of Austria's 5th Lithuanian Lancers' Regiment. His Imperial Majesty Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich's 5th Alexandria Hussars Regiment. from a painting by Charlemagne, signed A. Mironov 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 Fifth Cavalry Division of the Imperial Russian Army, including officers of

the Fifth Kargopolskii Dragoons Regiment,

the Fifth Lithuanian Lancers Regiment and

the Fifth Alexandria Hussars Regiment

standing or on horseback, 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 Fifth Cavalry Division in the most up-to-date uniforms.