A magnificent pair of Russian Imperial Porcelain vases, Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg, period of Nicholas I (1825-1855), each of Medici form mounted on a circular waisted fluted foot on a square ormolu base, lower body applied with gilt acanthus leaves issuing two handles of reeded calyx form, the central panels finely painted after the works of Franz Jansz van Mieris the Elder (1635-1681) ‘Young Lady in the Morning’ signed and dated I. Morozov 1849 and ‘Entertainment with Oysters’ signed and dated I. Artemiev 1849, the reverse of each gilded with three scrolled foliate motifs with floral sheaths. The three porcelain elements are joined by a metal key and screw device. As a pair only one vase is marked: ‘1849 FT’ in gilt Cyrillic for Ornamentalist Feodor Telyatnikov and ‘NS’ in cyrillic, incised mark to inside rim indicates they were moulded in 1848. Heights: 66 cm with diametre 55 cm, 66.5 cm with diametre 56 cm. With a square marble socle. Provenance:  Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Gift exhibition room, Winter Palace, St Petersburg Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, Mikhailovsky Palace, St Petersburg Private Swiss Collection. This pair of vases has been in the same family since the 1960s. Certificate from Anna Vladimirovna Ivanova, Curator of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Museum, The Hermitage, St Petersburg.  The certificate states: [...] we can confirm the authenticity of the two given vases. All technical and artistic processes applied in the creation of these vases, the quality of the porcelain and bronze, as well as the signatures of the Master artists, correspond exactly to articles produced by the Imperial Porcelain Factory in the 1840s. Each year at Christmas time, a collection of potential gifts from various Imperial factories was displayed at the Winter Palace for the Emperor and Empress to view. According to the Curator of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Museum at the Hermitage, St Petersburg, the Russian State Archives show two vases of the second size Medici shape were ordered from the Imperial Porcelain Factory for display in Emperor Nicholas I’s cabinet for Christmas 1849. The entry reads as follows: “Vases of Medici form of second size with paintings of figures from Mieris done by masters Artemiev and Morozov decorated over a gold background – 2 » (RSHA f. 468, op.10, ed. hr. 613, l. 5).

This pair of vases depicts two paintings by Franz Jansz van Mieris the Elder (1635-1681). Ivan Morozov was the master painter charged with recreating “Lady at her Toilet”, 1660 and Ilya Artemiev « Oyster Eaters », 1659. These paintings originally entered the Hermitage collection in 1769 when Catherine II bought the rather large collection of Count Heinrich von Brühl, German statesman for the court of Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a few years after his death.

In the summer of 1849, Emperor Nicholas I’s brother Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov passed away. His widow, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (1807-1873, born Princess Frederika Charlotte Maria of Württemburg) was a well-educated and respected lady and now lived alone at Mikhailovskiy Palace with their daughter Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna (1827-1894). It is most likely that the Emperor and his Empress wanted to convey their appreciation and affection for their sister-in-law that year, especially having suffered such a loss, by offering a gift of considerable value. The Imperial Porcelain Factory received an order from the Minister of the Imperial Court: “The Empress demands to know which gift has been created for Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, please send immediately some suitable creations for their Imperial Highnesses to choose from. 26 December 1849, General Count Volkonskiy.” (RSHA, f.468, op.10, ed.hr. 613, l.8)

Once the Christmas exhibition was over, the Imperial Porcelain Factory was charged with preparation for the delivery of items selected as gifts. From the collection displayed at the Winter Palace in 1849, the following instruction was given for distribution: « To their Imperial Highnesses Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna: vases of Medici form of the second size with paintings of figures and gold decoration – 2 » (RSHA f.468, op.10, ed.hr. 613, l.42). This pair of Imperial porcelain vases was delivered to the Mikhailovskiy Palace along with other gifts. At a later date, the vases left the Mikhailovskiy Palace not appearing in the palace’s cabinet inventories after 1894. With the marriage of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna to Duke Georg August of Mecklenberg-Strelitz in 1851, the vases were likely relocated to another residence.

We would like to thank Anna Vladimirovna Ivanova, Curator of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Museum for all archival information and authentication.