Extremely Rare Antique Porcelain Cup and Saucer

from the Etruscan Service of the Peterhof Palace

period of Tsar Nicholas I

The Etruscan service was first made in 1844 for the Tsarina Pavilion in the Peterhof palace.

The service comprised a set of breakfast and luncheon pieces for 48 persons and tea-coffee part for 24 persons.

Its name derived from the decor of Etruscan pottery. The Etruscans were an ancient Italic culture which flourished in central Italy until the 2nd century BC when it was fully subsumed into Roman culture.

The black-figure technique was developed in about 700 BC. Artisans applied a black slip to depict figures and ornamental motifs against the clay’s natural background.

The Etruscan service is published in DINING WITH THE CZARS, page 100 and RUSSIAN IMPERIAL PORCELAIN (The Hermitage), page 159.

Condition: a couple hairline cracks on the cup, a hairline crack on the saucer, some moderate rubbing of paint in the center of the saucer.

This particular type of cup and saucer, apparently, is unpublished.