Souvenir pair of plates "Nicholas II" and "Empress Alexandra Feodorovna," 1890s.

Souvenir pair of plates "Nicholas II" and "Empress Alexandra Feodorovna"
France. Manufacture "Sarreguemines". 1890s
Faience, printed

The plate features a portrait of the young wife of Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna (Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt), and scenes from their meeting, engagement, and wedding. It was made in France in 1896 and touches upon Russian-French relations, which were experiencing a "honeymoon" period at that time. This plate was produced to commemorate the first official state visit of the young Russian tsar to the French Republic in 1896. It was made in the French region of Sarreguemines, known for its faience products, specifically at the UTZSCHNEIDER factory, as indicated by the marks. The diameter of the plate is 225 mm.