This extravagant-looking object was once used for dining and was part of a service of 797 pieces made for Empress Catherine the Great of Russia in 1778.

This particular object is an ice-cream cooler. Its decoration gives away its purpose. Can you see the golden icicles on the edges of the cover and the handle in the form of a frozen fountain? There were once ten ice-cream coolers in the service!
There would have been a porcelain or tin liner inside the cooler, set on a bed of crushed ice and salt, and the cover would have been packed with ice, both of which kept the ice-cream or sorbet cool. Ice was taken from the River Neva in St Petersburg during the winter and then kept frozen in ice-houses for use during the rest of the year.

Sorbets and ice-creams were a popular part of the dessert course, but they were quite different from the ice-cream we eat today. They were served in a more liquid form and could be drunk from small cups with handles rather than spooned out of bowls. At the same time, diners would have been offered jellies, fruits and sweets, such as sugared almonds, to end their meal.

This huge service included porcelain pieces for dinner, dessert, tea and coffee as well as centrepieces for the table. Imagine being invited to dinner with Empress Catherine. Can you imagine what the table would have looked like?