.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
From an Imperial banqueting service, the first of two ordered from China by Catherine, who promoted the Chinese overland tea trade with Russia throughout her reign. Tea had arrived in Russia in the late 17th century, but under Peter the Great its restricted importation had made it a very expensive luxury.
The inventory number on this plate, [.4/2563, closely relates to those found on two plates from this service in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, [.577 and /2580. All show traces of newspaper print, and are from the inventory of Gatchina, the summer palace Catherine built in 1766. See C. Le Corbeiller, Patterns of Exchange, pp 110-112.
Another plate from this service, much more rare than the later one ordered by the Empress, was in the collection of Lily & Edmond J Safra, sold Sotheby's, New York, 18 October 2011, lot 4.
The inventory number on this plate, [.4/2563, closely relates to those found on two plates from this service in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, [.577 and /2580. All show traces of newspaper print, and are from the inventory of Gatchina, the summer palace Catherine built in 1766. See C. Le Corbeiller, Patterns of Exchange, pp 110-112.
Another plate from this service, much more rare than the later one ordered by the Empress, was in the collection of Lily & Edmond J Safra, sold Sotheby's, New York, 18 October 2011, lot 4.