English: A Russian Porcelain Plate from a Military Service, Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, St. Petersburg, Period of Alexander III (1881-1894), dated 1883

the reverse titled in Cyrillic

12th Cavalry Division /

His Royal Highness Prince Peter of Oldenburg's 12th Starodub Dragoons Regiment /

12th Belgorod Lancers' Regiment /

His Royal Highness Prince Friedrich Karl's 12th Akhtyrka Hussars Regiment /

from a painting by Charlemagne, signed Vas. Midin and dated 1883; also with green Imperial cypher of Alexander III dated 1883

Porcelain: diameter 9 3/4 in.; 24.8 cm

the cavetto realistically painted with various members of the Twelfth Cavalry Division of the Imperial Russian Army, including officers of the Twelfth Starodub Dragoons Regiment and the Twelfth Belgorod Lancers' Regiment look on as members of the Twelfth Akhtyrka Hussars ride by in formation;

the borders gilded and incised with ribbon-tied branches of oak and laurel divided by an incised image of the Imperial State Seal, a double-headed, triple-crowned eagle with the coats-of-arms of various cities across its chest and wings, the foot also gilded.

The Imperial Porcelain Manufactory made military plates from the Second Gold Series in the 1880s, coinciding with the end of the reign of Alexander II (1855-1881) and the earliest years of Alexander III's (1881-1894) rule. The constant need to reorganize and update the Russian army meant that the painters at the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory could not always keep up with the latest changes to the Twelfth Calvary Division. The Twelfth Starodub Hussars had been reorganized and renamed in 1881 and 1882; the title on the reverse reflects the composition of the Division up until 1880.