NICHOLAS II 'CUP OF SORROWS'

NICHOLAS II 'CUP OF SORROWS'
Fine relic from the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, the 'Khodynka' cup, or 'Cup of Sorrows', made to honor the event. The ceramic-covered copper cup measures 4 in. tall and 3.5 in. wide at top, bearing the crowned ciphers of Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra above the date '1896'. On the opposite side is the Russian Imperial double-headed eagle, with the balance of the cup bearing a rust and pale blue latticework design between gilt edgings at top and bottom. These cups were distributed to the public on the morning following the coronation, on a large military training field crossed with trenches and ditches. On that balmy day, a rumor shot through the crowd that there was a shortage of these mementos, and the crowd surged toward the distribution points, with many being trampled and crushed underfoot. The cup bears some faint spots of staining with some light wear towards the rim, with the balance of the porcelain largely unaffected and still very bright.