the tsars cabinet Traveling Exhibitions 200 Years of Russian Decorative Arts under the Romanovs

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1 Urn, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1845, porcelain the tsars cabinet Traveling Exhibitions

2 Tsar Nicholas II and his family, c Photo courtesy of The Bridgeman Art Library. Russian porcelain over two centuries becomes a remarkable reflection of Russia s view of itself and of its cultural aspirations...(its) desire to Westernize, but its need for empire and otherness. As a result Russian porcelain remains easily recognizable, and this phenomenon continues into the Soviet period after Anne Odom ( ) Curator Emeritus, Hillwood Museum and Gardens The Tsars Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative features extraordinary objects drawn from one of the finest private collections of Imperial Russian porcelain and decorative arts in the United States. Organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at The College of William & Mary, this exhibition presents the prolific porcelain craftsmen and artists under the Romanovs. This magnificent collection of over 200 objects was used publically and privately by tsars of the Romanov dynasty, which reigned from the mid-eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. Exquisite craftsmanship raises these objects above their utilitarian functions to become individual pieces of art which inform the viewer of the sociopolitical climate in Russia under the Romanovs. Significant events in Russian history are reflected in many of pieces displayed in The Tsars Cabinet, highlighting 2

3 Plate from the Orlov Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c , porcelain I was stunned by the quality of this exhibition, where each object is a true masterpieceexample of the Russian imperial porcelain. I am so glad that in America, in addition to the renowned Marjorie Merriweather Post s priceless collection of Russian art at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C, there are more equally astounding private collections of Russian decorative applied art. -Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya Curator, State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia The Epoh Times, by Lina Broydo, May 9, 2012 Tea Pot, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1750, porcelain 3

4 Figures of Teleutan Tartar Woman, Man from Kuril Islands, Samoyed Woman, Samoyed Man, Man from Lapland, Finnish Woman, and Finnish Man, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c , hard-paste porcelain (Left) Charger with Portrait of Paul, and (Right) Plate with Portrait of Grand Duchess Natalya, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1795, porcelain 4

5 Porcelain figure of Vodonoska, The Water Carrier Porcelain, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1817, porcelain Decanter and Six Cordials from the Banqueting Service, Imperial Glassworks, Russia, second quarter of the 19th century, glass Peter the Great s fascination with the Western world and the Enlightenment arriving in Russia under the auspices of Catherine the Great. Militarism, historicism and national pride are evidenced in the fine porcelain products, with imperial services conjuring the distinctive reigns of each of the Romanov tsars while demonstrating stylistic and technical advancements in the art. The exhibition features some of the richest examples of Russian porcelain and glassware services produced by the Imperial Porcelain Factory and Imperial Glass Factory, as well as elaborately decorated eggs by the illustrious Fabergé and Ovichinnikov firms. In addition to the imperial dinnerware including fine examples from the Gothic, Kremlin, and Raphael services The Tsars Cabinet features objects such as the famous campana urns and Durnovo Casket. Stimulated by excavations in Pompeii, the campana urns reflect the Romanov s strong interest in antiquity while displaying the superior craftsmanship and technical achievements characteristic of artisans employed by this dynasty of Russian tsars. Through their styling and evocation of daily life, other decorative porcelain pieces reveal the rising tension between the enduring nationalist Russian aesthetic and the desire to embrace European fashions and tradition. With its combination of pre-petrine motifs and contemporary European design, the Durnovo Casket is a prime example of this mixing of style and tradition. The Tsars Cabinet will transport your audience to a majestic era of progressive politics and dynamic social change through one of the finest private collections of Russian imperial porcelain in the United States. Exposing a turbulent and eventful period of history, this captivating exhibition provides an intimate and revealing glimpse into the lives of the Romanovs, the last dynasty of Russian tsars. 5

6 Two Plates, Soup Plate (third from the left), Dessert Plate (fourth from the left), Butter Plate (fifth from the left), and Cup and Saucer (bottom) from the Raphael Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, , hard-paste porcelain (Left) Knife and Fork from the Order of St. Vladimir (c. 1785), and (Right) Knife and Fork from the Order of St. Alexander Nevskii Service (c. 1780), Gardner Factory, Russia Miniature vase from the Grand Duke Paul Berlin Service, Konigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin, Germany, c , porcelain 6

7 Snuffbox, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1755, porcelain Plate from the Mikhailovsky Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1840, porcelain Lukutin Lacquer Box, Faberge, workmaster Anders Nevalainen, St. Petersburg, Russia, , lacquer with gilded-silver mounts Plate from the Etruscan Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1845, porcelain 7

8 Durnovo Casket, Firm of Ovchinnikov, Russia, 1889, silver gilt, enamel and lapis lazuli 8

9 Tureen, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c. 1860, porcelain Baskets, Gardner Factory, Russia, third quarter of the 18th century, porcelain Salts, Gardner Factory, Russia, third quarter of the 18th century, porcelain 9

10 Charger, Cup and Saucer, and Bowl from the Kremlin Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Russia, c , hard-paste porcelain Specifications Number of Works More than 200 objects including glassware, porcelain, enamel, silver and other decorative objects Organized by Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary Requirements 2,700 square feet; High Security Fee $50,000 Shipping IA&A makes all arrangements; exhibitors pay outgoing costs within the contiguous US Booking Time 12 weeks Availability June 2014 to December 2016 Publication The Tsars Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative by Anne Odom 8 x10, soft cover, 60 pages Publisher/Year: International Arts & Artists/2011 ISBN: Contact Nicole Byers Senior Exhibitions Manager nicoleb@artsandartists.org 10