Sauceboat from the St. Andrew Service

The Saint Andrew service was given by the Saxon elector Friedrich Augustus II (King Augustus III of Poland) to Tsarina Elisabeth I of Russia on the occasion of her nephew’s marriage to the German princess later known as Catherine the Great. Items from the 400-piece service are decorated with the emblems of the order of Saint Andrew, including the imperial Russian double-headed eagle and Saint Andrew nailed to a cross. The order of Saint Andrew, established by Peter the Great around 1698, was the highest award in imperial Russia. This service was used at the Russian court once a year on November 30, the saint’s feast day.