Porcelain medal depicting Grand Duke Paul and Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna

Description

An extremely rare porcelain medallion depicting Grand Duke Paul and his first wife Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna

with inscription ВЕЛИКІИ КНЯЗЬ ПАВЕЛЪ ПЕТРОВИЧЪ · ВЕЛИКАЯ КНЯГИНЯ НАТАІЯ АЛЕКСЭЕВНА I·G·IÆGER ·F

By the Imperial Porcelain Factory, St. Petersburg, 1773

Diam. 5.7cm, 3mm thick

This porcelain medallion was issued after a medal by J. G. Jaeger commemorating the marriage of Grand Duke Paul, the future Tsar Paul I, to Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, who became Natalia Alexeievna. The wedding took place in the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God on 29 September 1773. Natalia died on 15 April 1776 shortly after delivering a stillborn child.

Medals in the second half of the 18th century were sometimes produced in porcelain. The present porcelain medallion may be unique.

J.G. Jaeger originated from Hamburg and worked during the last third of the 18th century as a medallist in St. Petersburg.

For a medallion after a medal of count G.G. Orlov executed in the same glazed biscuit technique see Galerie Popoff: An Enduring Passion for Russian Art, Christie’s London, 12 October 2009, lot 145.