Menu from the Tsar's Coronation.

Commemorative document on the occasion of the coronation of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, which took place on the 14th of May 1896 at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow. At nearly a metre in length, mimicking a medieval scroll and using vyaz' (Cyrillic calligraphy) Vasnetsov intended to transport the Romanovs back in time to the beginning of their dynasty and the rule of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.

It also features the ritual presentation of bread and salt by the people of Russia. As with the legendary Imperial ball of 1903 where all the guests wore 17th-century costumes, the emphasis was on referencing historical events, so that the Romanovs could stress their longevity and consolidate their rule in the present.

Lithograph with text in gilt (924 x 330 mm), signed in Cyrillic and dated lower left in plate; upper left corner slightly chipped.