Christmas Gifts
Pieces from the Historical Collections of the Imperial Porcelain and Glass Works of the 18th - Early 20th Centuries
7 December, 2002 - 23 February, 2003

The exhibition opened in the Apollo Hall (Room No. 260) of the State Hermitage Museum shows Christmas gifts of the Imperial Family and introduces Christmas traditions of the Winter Palace inhabitants. The exhibition displays 115 porcelain and glass objects of the 18th - early 20th centuries from the collection of the Hermitage's new department, Museum of the Porcelain Works.

Since the 18th century, the favorite gifts were porcelain cups. The first cup manufactured by the St. Petersburg Works was presented by the creator of Russian porcelain D.I. Vinogradov to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Gift cups had especially colorful decorations, with miniatures, portraits, monograms and inscriptions.
Albums publishing materials collected by Russian geographical expeditions in the 18th century became the impetus and inspiration for a series of figures of Russia's ethnic groups. Two pieces of this series executed in 1907-1915 (sculptor P.P. Kamensky) are showed in the exhibition.

Another theme of collection series is dishes with images of the Russian Army. These dishes were used as diplomatic gifts, decorated rooms of Grand Dukes and public figures or were collected by connoisseurs of military history and amateurs of porcelain.

Christmas gifts include the famous table sets, Cabinet, Guryev, Yusupov, Romanov, Rafael, etc., presented to the Emperor. Special gifts were big palace vases, usually intended for the Imperial Family or sometimes for high dignitaries or foreign royalties. The most grandiose vase, Russia, was executed to mark the 15th anniversary of Napoleon's defeat and presented to Nicholas I.

Lots of tiny porcelain pieces were manufactured for the Czar's children: dolls, animal figures, miniature table sets, etc.
Fashionable bagatelles which appeared in the 19th century included card boxes, toilet sets, looking glasses in porcelain frames, table pieces for boudoirs and cabinets and cigar cases. The exhibition displays a unique cigarette case in the form of an elephant ridden by figures in oriental dress.
Rococo was the preferred style of the 19th century porcelain. Modeled flowers decorating table sets, vases and decorative pieces were a la mode. The master Petr Ulyanovich Ivanov (1804-1851) designed special biscuit mass (unglazed porcelain) from which he modeled the famous bouquets. The best of Ivanov's bouquets was presented on Christmas at the Winter Palace. This bouquet is the centerpiece of the exhibition.

The show also includes the Romanov Table Set with portraits of Russian Czars and a view of the Romanov Boyar Palace in Moscow (designed by Vivan Boset) displayed at the London exhibition of 1862. Another noteworthy exhibit is the glass plate with a reproduction of the Madonna and Child by Fra Bartolomeo (1475-1517).

The glass collection came to the Porcelain Works' Museum in 1890 when they were merged with the Imperial Glass Works. The collection is unique, over four hundred pieces belonging mostly to the age of art nouveau. Alongside excellent specimens of carved glass of Emile Galle, brothers Daum and L.C. Tiffany are displayed equally beautiful creations of Russian masters. Russian carved cut glass is unequally, especially ecclesiastical objects made to the Imperial Family's order: crystal binding for the Gospels, Easter eggs from multi-layer color glass, incense-burners, framed candlestick with the Faberge brand, etc.
The Museum was founded in 1844 by Nicholas I to commemorate the centenary of the Imperial (now Lomonosov) Porcelain Works, on the Works' premises. In 2001 the museum collection of 35,000 objects was handed over to the State Hermitage Museum.
Reviving the historical tradition, the new Hermitage Department opened its first exhibition at the Winter Palace on the eve of the 2003 Christmas.

Biscuit Bouquet
1851
Larger view

Three Vases with Ornamentation
1906-1910
Larger view

Horse Guard of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
About 1909
Larger view