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| Jewel Casket Emanuel Eichel I, 1737 Gold, Ivory, Tortoiseshell, Mother-of-Pearl, Enamel, Diamonds, Rubies Made for Emperor Charles VI Owned by Queen Charlotte The Royal Collection |
To begin with, the casket is exceptionally fine. Piqué panels of tortoise shell inlaid with gold and mother of pearl form the casket itself which is surmounted by a tinted ivory and gold figure of Victory which is set with stunning rubies and diamonds. It is signed on the reverse by Augsburg’s Emanuel Eichel I who was known for his intricate gold-work and jewelry, particularly his mastery of designs featuring tortoiseshell and ivory.
The inlaid scenes depict the victory of Prince Eugene of Savoy over the Ottoman Empire (1716). The records of Emperor Charles VI from the time period indicate that he commissioned Eichel to create a work commemorating Prince Eugene’s triumph. The completed work—a magnificent jewel box of tortoiseshell, ivory and diamonds, was said to be Eichel’s greatest masterpiece. A mention of this casket made in 1752 indicates that it was unaccounted for.
Clearly, this is the same casket. How or why it came into the possession of Queen Charlotte remains a mystery.
2 comments:
George III's wife Charlotte frequently disappeared to the Continent on mysterious journeys. The court kept these visits Strictly Top Secret; the public certainly did not know about them. It is possible that Charlotte acquired this casket (or arranged for someone to acquire it for her) on one of these journeys.
That's a good observation, SherR. Charlotte was a bit on the sneaky side.
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