Gifts of Grandeur: The Monkey in a Wig Snuffbox, 1872-1922

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Porcelain snuffboxes from the late Nineteenth Century are considerably rarer than those of gold or hardstone since, despite being made in far greater quantities, most of them didn’t have the sturdiness necessary to survive. Snuffboxes made from porcelain mirrored the shapes of those of precious metal or stone and featured painted scenes or portraits.

The largest manufacturer of these boxes was Meissen in Germany, however, this example was produced in Fürstenberg ca.1750. In this case, the porcelain was later mounted into this form. The gold mounts date to 1872 and were changed in 1922.

The box is adorned with birds on the outside. These are painted in a realistic manner. However, the interior of the box features some odd adornment which is decidedly not realistic. The animals, on the inside, are treated as people, dressed in human costume. The predominant scene is that of a monkey in a wig who is administering an enema to a prostrate cat.

That's a sentence I don't get to type very often.

This box was once owned by HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent—the wife of the Duke of Kent (son of King George V and Queen Mary). 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Set of Five Platinum Eternity Bands or Guard Rings, 1920-40

Guard Rings
1920-1940
England
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a set of five platinum guard rings set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Today, we’d refer to these rings as Eternity Bands and, they’re quite in fashion again. This set was made between 1920 and 1940.


These narrow rings are set with a continuous line of matching, single-color stones. Such rings initially became very fashionable during the 1930s. They were worn either next to or instead of a plain, gold or platinum wedding band. Of course, diamonds were the most popular choice, others were often set with emeralds, rubies or sapphires. One famous lover of such rings was Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent. On her marriage in 1934 to Prince George, the Duke of Kent (son of George V and Mary of Teck), she selected three - one of rubies, one of diamonds and one of sapphires, the colors of the Union Jack.

Building of the Week: Kensington Palace

Nestled elegantly in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England, Kensington Palace has been the home to many members of the Royal family for over three hundred years.


Most recently, the palace has served as the primary residence of the late Diana, Princess of Wales as well as her children, Princes William and harry, and the late Princess Margaret. Presently, the palace is the comfortably, yet lavish, home of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Since for the last century, the palace has been the residence of many a female member of the Royal family, Edward VIII referred to Kensington as “The Aunt Heap.” He was really quite unpleasant, I think.

Nottingham House

Originally, a rather square Seventeenth Century mansion sat on the grounds. Initially called Nottingham House, it was the home of the Earl of Nottingham. The land was sold by Nottingham’s heir to King William III in 1689. At that time, Chelsea was actually still quite undeveloped and King William wanted to live there so as to be away from the smoke and soot in the air in London proper.

Sir Christopher Wren expanded the house considerably, re-orienting it to face West, changing the floor plan, adding ornate staircases and galleries, and altering the gardens to make it a more fitting residence for the King. The house was renamed “Kensington House” and still had not achieved palatial status.

The Orangery

For the next seventy years, Kensington House was the favored Royal Residence and remained relatively unchanged until 1704 when Queen Anne added the “Orangery” (essentially a greenhouse or conservatory), had the gardens made more formal and commissioned Wren to create a new grand staircase and ceremonial entrance.

By 1718, King George I had begun to occupy the house which had attained the status of palace. He spent a small fortune in redecorating the Royal apartments and commissioned William Kent to create lavish frescoes and murals for the state rooms.

George I's Interior, 1722

George II was the last reigning monarch to live at the palace. Thereafter it was used as a residence for minor members of the Royal Family. It was the girlhood home of young Queen Victoria and her mother and also the birthplace of Mary of Teck.

In the 1980’s a newly married Prince Charles and Princess Diana made the palace their residence and it remained Diana’s home after divorcing Charles. Today, it still houses members of the Royal Family, but also serves as a museum and opens its state rooms to the public. Kensington Palace is often the location for special exhibitions hosted by the Historic Royal Palaces Charity.

For more information about Kensington Palace, visit the official Web site of the Historic Royal Palaces which features a rather nifty bit of animation.  

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Miniature of Queen Victoria’s Father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, 1814

Edward, Duke of Kent
1814
Miniature on Ivory in Gold Locket
The Royal Collection

The fourth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn was a military officer with expensive and debauched tastes as well as a host of illegitimate children. At the time of George III’s death, the King only had one legitimate grandchild, and she died young—leaving no one in line for the throne after the Prince Regent (later King George IV) and his younger brother, William. George III’s unmarried sons tried to make suitable marriages to produce a legitimate heir presumptice. Among this rush, The Duke of Kent married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld. They had one child—Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent. The Princess was the only legitimate issue in line for the Crown, and after the death of her uncle, King William IV, she ascended the throne as Queen Victoria in 1837. The Duke of Kent never saw his daughter as Queen. He died seventeen years earlier.

But, here he is on a watercolor on ivory miniature in a gold locket. The painting is by Johan Georg Paul Fischer and dates to 1814.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Victoria was painted in 1821, before her accession, holding this miniature in a portrait by Sir William Beechey which depicts the the Duchess of Kent with Princess Victoria. The elaborate gold locket is the work of the jewelers Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, and shows their masterful chasing and repoussé work. The Duke is identified by his Garter emblems, his coronet and his name, EDWARD. The locket’s reverse is similarly chased and is adorned with the badge of the Bath within the collar, and the collar and badge of St Patrick.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Fischer based this miniature on a portrait by Sir Beechey which also dates to 1814. No stranger to the Royal Family, Fischer’s first Royal sitter was King George III, whom Fischer painted for his Golden Jubilee.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Painting of the Day: Portrait of a Baby, possibly Prince Edward (1767-1820), later Duke of Kent

Portrait of a Baby, Possibly Prince Edward
c. 1769
Francis Cotes
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Painted by Francis Cotes (1726-70), circa 1768-1769, this work of oil on canvas was first recorded in the Royal Collection during the reign of Queen Victoria.  

The identity of the infant sitter has long been something of a mystery, however, most believe that the child is Prince Edward since his 1767 birth coincides with the creation of the painting.  Furthermore, Eighteenth Century inventories of the palaces at Kensington and Kew refer to portraits of Prince Edward by "Coates."

Regardless of his identity, the baby is a cheeky boy, impersonating Cupid--complete with faux wings, a quiver of arrows and a theatrical floral garland.  During this period, artists such as Reynolds were employing this sort of "mock-mythology" in portraits of young ladies, but, if the attributed date of the painting is to be trusted, we can see that Cotes was among the first to adopt the idea in the representation of infants. 

Masterpiece of the Week: Portrait of a Baby, possibly Prince Edward (1767-1820), later Duke of Kent

Portrait of a Baby, Possibly Prince Edward
c. 1769
Francis Cotes
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Painted by Francis Cotes (1726-70), circa 1768-1769, this work of oil on canvas was first recorded in the Royal Collection during the reign of Queen Victoria.  

The identity of the infant sitter has long been something of a mystery, however, most believe that the child is Prince Edward since his 1767 birth coincides with the creation of the painting.  Furthermore, Eighteenth Century inventories of the palaces at Kensington and Kew refer to portraits of Prince Edward by "Coates."

Regardless of his identity, the baby is a cheeky boy, impersonating Cupid--complete with faux wings, a quiver of arrows and a theatrical floral garland.  During this period, artists such as Reynolds were employing this sort of "mock-mythology" in portraits of young ladies, but, if the attributed date of the painting is to be trusted, we can see that Cotes was among the first to adopt the idea in the representation of infants.

Building of the Week: Kensington Palace

Oh, dear.  Yesterday was just one kerfuffle after another.  I'd promised you a "Treat of the Week" on Wednesday, but one of the many kerfuffles was a loss of electricity.  And, so, I will be giving you this week's "Treat of the Week" tomorrow as part of the usual Punch-filled day of fun.  After all, Mr. Punch does love a good treat, and this week's, I'm sure, would suit him nicely.

In the meantime, I thought we'd take a look at Kensington Palace...  

Let's begin.  

Nestled elegantly in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England, Kensington Palace has been the home to many members of the Royal family for over three hundred years.

Most recently, the palace has served as the primary residence of the late Diana, Princess of Wales as well as her children, Princes William and Harry, and the late Princess Margaret. Presently, the palace is the comfortably, yet lavish, home of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Since for the last century, the palace has been the residence of many a female member of the Royal family, Edward VIII referred to Kensington as “The Aunt Heap.” He was really quite unpleasant, I think.

Nottingham House

Originally, a rather square Seventeenth Century mansion sat on the grounds. Initially called Nottingham House, it was the home of the Earl of Nottingham. The land was sold by Nottingham’s heir to King William III in 1689. At that time, Chelsea was actually still quite undeveloped and King William wanted to live there so as to be away from the smoke and soot in the air in London proper.

Sir Christopher Wren expanded the house considerably, re-orienting it to face West, changing the floor plan, adding ornate staircases and galleries, and altering the gardens to make it a more fitting residence for the King. The house was renamed “Kensington House” and still had not achieved palatial status.

The Orangery

For the next seventy years, Kensington House was the favored Royal Residence and remained relatively unchanged until 1704 when Queen Anne added the “Orangery” (essentially a greenhouse or conservatory), had the gardens made more formal and commissioned Wren to create a new grand staircase and ceremonial entrance.

By 1718, King George I had begun to occupy the house which had attained the status of palace. He spent a small fortune in redecorating the Royal apartments and commissioned William Kent to create lavish frescoes and murals for the state rooms.

George I's Interior, 1722

George II was the last reigning monarch to live at the palace. Thereafter it was used as a residence for minor members of the Royal Family. It was the girlhood home of young Queen Victoria and her mother and also the birthplace of Mary of Teck.

In the 1980’s a newly married Prince Charles and Princess Diana made the palace their residence and it remained Diana’s home after divorcing Charles. Today, it still houses members of the Royal Family, but also serves as a museum and opens its state rooms to the public. Kensington Palace is often the location for special exhibitions hosted by the Historic Royal Palaces Charity—such as the current exhibit of Royal wedding gowns.  Last year, the palace was  transformed into "The Enchanted Palace" as part of a special display of Royal artifacts. 

For more information about Kensington Palace, visit the official Web site of the Historic Royal Palaces which features a rather nifty bit of animation. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Miniature of Queen Victoria’s Father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, 1814

Edward, Duke of Kent
1814
Miniature on Ivory in Gold Locket
The Royal Collection

The fourth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn was a military officer with expensive and debauched tastes as well as a host of illegitimate children. At the time of George III’s death, the King only had one legitimate grandchild, and she died young—leaving no one in line for the throne after the Prince Regent (later King George IV) and his younger brother, William. George III’s unmarried sons tried to make suitable marriages to produce a legitimate heir presumptice. Among this rush, The Duke of Kent married Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld. They had one child—Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent. The Princess was the only legitimate issue in line for the Crown, and after the death of her uncle, King William IV, she ascended the throne as Queen Victoria in 1837. The Duke of Kent never saw his daughter as Queen. He died seventeen years earlier.

But, here he is on a watercolor on ivory miniature in a gold locket. The painting is by Johan Georg Paul Fischer and dates to 1814.

Queen Victoria was painted in 1821, before her accession, holding this miniature in a portrait by Sir William Beechey which depicts the the Duchess of Kent with Princess Victoria. The elaborate gold locket is the work of the jewelers Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, and shows their masterful chasing and repoussé work. The Duke is identified by his Garter emblems, his coronet and his name, EDWARD. The locket’s reverse is similarly chased and is adorned with the badge of the Bath within the collar, and the collar and badge of St Patrick.

Fischer based this miniature on a portrait by Sir Beechey which also dates to 1814. No stranger to the Royal Family, Fischer’s first Royal sitter was King George III, whom Fischer painted for his Golden Jubilee.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Set of Five Platinum Eternity Bands or Guard Rings, 1920-40

Guard Rings
1920-1940
England
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a set of five platinum guard rings set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Today, we’d refer to these rings as Eternity Bands and, they’re quite in fashion again. This set was made between 1920 and 1940.


These narrow rings are set with a continuous line of matching, single-color stones. Such rings initially became very fashionable during the 1930s. They were worn either next to or instead of a plain, gold or platinum wedding band. Of course, diamonds were the most popular choice, others were often set with emeralds, rubies or sapphires. One famous lover of such rings was Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent. On her marriage in 1934 to Prince George, the Duke of Kent (son of George V and Mary of Teck), she selected three - one of rubies, one of diamonds and one of sapphires, the colors of the Union Jack.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Princess Marina’s Baby Dress, 1910

Dress
Embroidered Linen
Made for Princess Marina, 1910
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Though children’s fashions tended to be simpler in design than their adult counterparts, they were nonetheless well made. Clothing, overall, was made to last. Even in the early Twentieth Century, most families—even the wealthiest—didn’t have closets full of changes of clothes. Children’s clothes, especially, were constructed to be sturdy. However, great attention to detail was still paid because, in many cases, these articles were passed down from child to child—often for generations.

This beautiful dress of embroidered linen was made in 1910 for Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (1906-1968). The Princess was the youngest of the three daughters of HRH Prince Nicholas of Greece and his wife Grand Duchess Elena of Russia. However, most people remember Princess Marina as the wife of the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary, Prince George (“Georgie” to his mother, the Queen), the Duke of Kent whom the Princess married in 1934. “Georgie” and Marina appeared to have a happy marriage though beneath the surface there was a lot going on that wasn’t known by the public. Together, they had one child, Prince Edward (now Duke of Kent). Princess Marina, even after the untimely death of the Duke of Kent in 1942, was quite popular with the people of Britain who admired her fashion sense—a trait, it seems, which she developed as a child. 

The Home Beautiful: The Neptune Candelabra, 1818-1820

Candelabrum
Silver, 1818-1820
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the early Nineteenth Century, a common theme in plate and in table ornament was the theme of the sea—personified by the Roman sea god, Neptune. For the English, Neptune represented the source not only of the fish and seafood which comprised many of their meals, but also of salt—a precious commodity indeed.

One of the ways by which an aristocratic family would show their social position and wealth was by adorning their tables with the finest silver, plate and china. Here’s one example of the type of adornment which would have graced a noble dining room.

Modeled with a figure of Neptune kneeling on a sea horse (or “hippocamp”) on a rocky base, this magnificent candelabrum is cast and chased with shells, seaweed and sea creatures. As he often does, Neptune holds a trident in his left hand and, in his right, presents a shell from which a hydra (the mythical multi-headed snake) springs. The hydra’s heads form the branches of the candelabrum.

This was part of a massive table garniture ordered by the then Duke of York—Prince Frederick (second son of King George III and brother of the future King George IV. Frederick would die before his elder brother, thus allowing his younger brother, to become King William IV when George IV died without legitimate heirs*). Upon his early death, the catalog of the sale of the Duke of York’s silver shows that this candelabrum is attributed to the antiquarian and silver retailer Kensington Lewis, who promoted himself with great pride as “Silversmith and Jeweller to his R. H. the Duke of York.” This candelabrum bears the mark of artist Edward Farrell, a silversmith who worked with Kensington Lewis between 1816 until the mid-1830s.

*In keeping with “family tradition” of lots of illegitimate children from the progeny of George III, King William IV also died without legitimate issue and the Crown, upon William’s death, was passed to the eldest child of his younger brother, Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent. This, of course, was Queen Victoria who, as we know, did her best to put the Royal Family back in order.

History's Runway: A Ball Gown from the House of Worth, 1900

Ball Gown
House of Worth
Paris, 1900
This and all related images from
The Cecil Beaton Collection at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We have looked at several gowns by Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895), the famed Parisian couturier whose “House of Worth” was the standard of elegant fashion. Worth was born in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and by the age of 12 was apprenticed to a draper's shop in London. At 20, he moved to Paris, working his way up the fashion ladder, finally opening his own house in 1858.

Worth caught the attention of the Empress Eugenie. This association was the key to his monumental success. What the empress wore, the ladies of the court wanted. Very quickly, Worth’s gown became symbols of social and financial greatness. His gowns defined how a wealthy lady of the early Twentieth Century should look.

This particular gown was worn by Princess Nicholas of Greece whose grandson, the Duke of Kent, donated the gown to his friend Sir Cecil Beaton, the society photographer and fashion buff, who was, in 1971, collecting fashionable dresses for his exhibition, “Fashion: An Anthology” at the V&A. 

Sadly, the some of the delicate trimmings of the gown have been lost to time. However, the rest of the gown has been painstakingly restored based on photographs from 1900 when it was made. The draped bodice is constructed of silk velvet and trimmed with diamanté and lace at the centre back. The inner foundation of the bodice has ten bones, and the bodice fastens at the left side with hooks and eyes. The skirt is also trimmed with diamante and flares from the panels that form the train.