Cup of Sorrow

This is a piece with lots of history attached - the Khodynka Cup of Sorrows aka Coronation Cup, Sorrow Cup or the Blood Cup. It was made for the coronation ceremony of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna in 1896. The cup has both their cyphers on the front surrounded by a geometric pattern and two gold rings as with the Romanov eagle on the opposite side. These beakers were distributed to celebrate the coronation of the Russian monarch Nicholas II. On the morning of 18 May 1896, over half a million revelers gathered on the ragged Khodynka Field in Moscow in anticipation of the presents and especially the commemorative cups. That was far more than the field could safely accommodate. In the confusion and panic that ensued, over a thousand people were trampled to death in what has become known as the Khodynka Tragedy. This event was taken as an omen of things to come for the rest of Nicholas' reign. The coronation cup became known in Russia as the Cup of Sorrows and the Tsar himself got the nickname of "Bloody Nicholas" - despite his best efforts to compensate the families of the victims. The enameled cup is in pretty good condition with some missing enamel to the top rim where it got dented a bit. Not too bad at all and I ahve seen far worse and few better. The piece is 4.125 inches tall and about 3.75 inches in diameter. It is not marked but these were never marked as to a maker. Please email me for more information or other pictures.