Dinnerware: Serving platter for custard cups, belonging to P. T. Barnum

Serving plate or platter for six to seven custard cups, part of a large dinner service owned by P. T. Barnum, and acquired at an estate auction in Paris. The set is made of white porcelain and decorated with bands of gold.  Darte Freres (Darte Brothers) of Paris produced the custom-decorated dinner service, possibly in the first or second decade of the 1800s, and not later than 1845.  Darte Freres produced porcelain items of extraordinary beauty, pieces that only the wealthiest patrons and royalty could afford to commission or purchase.   The two-inch high pedestal in the center of the platter is designed in part to keep the cups from sliding around and bumping into each other. Since the matching custard cup base fits the top of the pedestal exactly, its purpose may also have been to display one cup higher than the others, forming a more attractive presentation.  The 1/2-inch deep rim, decorated with a wide band of gold, also helped ensure the custard cups stayed on the platter. The Russian crest or coat of arms and the initals PTB are on opposite sides.  The underside has three unglazed circles and a keyhole shaped opening, although it is not known what the purpose is.  Possibly a footed base was an optional part of the piece and could be inserted into the keyhole opening and turned to lock it in place.   The family crest featured on the object originally belonged to a Russian prince. The crest was adopted by P.T. Barnum when he purchased items in Paris, France, in 1845 at a sale of the man's belongings following his death. In his autobiography, Barnum explains that items with the crest were priced solely on the value of the silver and gold they contained, since the crest was not a desirable feature to wealthy buyers who had their own family crests. Other items such as a large set of dinnerware featuring the crest on each piece seemed of little interest to buyers, but caught his attention in part because the prince's initials were "P" and "T". Thus he only needed to add a "B" to make them his. Barnum never stated the name of the late Russian prince. Examination of the Russian Empire Roll of Arms, published in 1797 shows that the crest belonged to the Тюфякин family, which can be rendered in the Roman alphabet as Tioufiakin or Tyufyakin, who held the noble rank of "prince" - the highest rank one could have without being a member of the royal family. The last member of the family to hold use the crest was Пётр Иванович, Peter Ivanovich (1769-1845), who spent the last two decades of his life living in Paris opposite the opera house. Prior to that,Tyufyakin was noted for helping to reinvigorate the Imperial Theatres in Russia, making them profitable, and even inviting Western actors to perform in Moscow. He died in February of 1845 with no heirs. In Paris, he was noted for giving grand balls, where doubtlessly the fine china that Barnum purchased was used. It is worth noting that the eagle and the solider in the crest are switched in earlier versions of the family crest. It is unclear when the version painted on the china came into use. It is also unclear how Barnum's three initials were applied to the china, since they are perfectly centered, and that would not be the case if he was adding the "B" to "P T". Barnum continued to use the items he acquired throughout his life, as portions of the sets can be seen in photographs of the dining room in his last home, Marina, which was built in 1888-1889.