Souvenir of the 1900 Paris Exposition

This porcelain inkstand is a souvenir from the Exposition Universelle of 1900.  This World’s Fair was held in Paris at the esplanade of Les Invalides, the Champ de Mars, the Trocadéro and at the banks of the Seine between them. More than fifty million people visited the fair. Many international congresses and other events were held within the framework of the exposition, including the 1900 Summer Olympics.

The Alexander III Bridge (Pont Alexandre III) is pictured on this porcelain inkstand. The bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs, and winged horses and built for the exposition, is widely regarded as the most ornate bridge in Paris. It is named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892.  His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896.

A second souvenir inkwell pictured shows the grand entrance to the 1900 Paris Exposition. It features a large archway adorned with several flags and includes figures of people milling about.