Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Mary's Fabergé Column, 1900

Column and Frame
Fabergé, 1900
Presented to Mary of Teck
by Queen Elizabeth,
The Queen Mother, 1946.
The Royal Collection

Everyone wants to make a good impression on her mother-in-law. Sometimes, that’s not an easy task. Sometimes, it’s downright daunting. Consider, if you will, if your mother-in-law is the Queen Consort and the wife of King George V. That was the situation Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon found herself in when she married “Bertie,” also known as The Duke of York (also the future King George VI).


The woman who would later be called, “The Queen Mother” wasn’t as meek and quiet as she appeared in public and was, in reality, quite sharp and savvy. She knew that Queen Mary had a great passion for jewels and art and they bonded over their mutual attraction to the work of Fabergé.

On May 26, 1946, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother presented her mother-in-law, Queen Mary (the then-Queen Mother) with this magnificent Fabergé creation from 1901. The object of Nephrite, two-colour gold, guilloché enamel, rose diamonds, mother-of-pearl features a delicately carved green column which supports an elaborate frame of diamonds.

This remarkable piece was the perfect addition to Mary of Teck’s existing collection of Fabergé and was rumored to have been one of her favorites. Though part of the Royal Collection, this frame and stand still appears to be on display within the State rooms at Buckingham Palace. 

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

What a great way to make a good impression.

Sculptures of the Day: Biscuit Figures in the Sévres Style

Pair of Infants: One Drawing, One Reading
Dihl et Guerhard, Late Eighteenth Century
Hard-Pase Biscuit Porcelain
Acquired by Queen Mary, 1936-38
The Royal Collection

In the late Eighteenth Century, with the growing popularity of biscuit (parian), the porcelain makers at France’s Sévres introduced the trend of creating a pair of figures—one a female child who represents reading, the other a male representing drawing. This motif was frequently copied by other aspiring porcelain makers—both French and English--who were well on their way to perfecting their own parian figures. Such is the case of this pair of infants. Crafted in the late Eighteenth Century in the Sévres style by Dihl et Guérhard, this set is numbered on the reverse in black paint, “No. 1” and “No. 2.” Historians believe that the pair may have been sculpted to be included in a group on a large clock case that was never completed.


You’ll never guess how these ended up in the Royal Collection. Oh, okay. You guessed. Mary of Teck acquired the first one in 1936 and the second in 1938. How she managed to hunt down the the mate to the first one, I’ll never know. But, she did, and they’ve been in the Royal Collection ever since.

Unfolding Pictures: An Unusual Handscreen, 1820

Silhouette Handscreen:
"Lady with a Broom."
French, 1820
Turned and carved ivory handle,
linen gauze, paper and card.
Found at Frogmore House, 1979
"Probably Purchased" by Queen Mary
The Royal Collection

Though fans have been a part of daily life since the earliest of recorded times, the handscreen (a relative of the folding fan) became a popular accessory in the Seventeenth Century and continued to be utilized well into the late Nineteenth Century.


A handscreen, or face-screen, has its roots in the designs of rigid hand-fans. Essentially a decorative panel (usually of linen-covered card, paper or painted canvas) mounted on a turned stick, the handscreen served to shield a lady’s face from the direct heat of the fire. Cosmetics, until recently, were largely wax-based. The heat of the fireplace would often cause a lady’s make-up to run. When not in use, handscreens would often be displayed as decorative items on the mantelpiece.

Given their dual nature—both practical and decorative—handscreens, by the Nineteenth Century, were often created as interesting novelties. This handscreen from 1820 is constructed of painted linen gauze over paper, atop a carved ivory stick. It is distinctive because of the two figures in silhouette which have been cut from black card. By means of a lever on the reverse of the screen, the figures are made to move, giving comedic life to a scene of a woman with a broom beating a portly fellow who holds fire tongs and a shovel.

The creator of this interesting novelty is unknown, but certainly French. The handscreen was found in 1979 among several unusual items which had been tucked away at Frogmore House. The only notation of its origins is that it was “probably purchased by Queen Mary.” Not only is it a charming antique, but it’s also further evidence that Mary of Teck, the Antiquities Magnet, was like a magpie—furnishing her nest with pretty little things.

Card of the Day: HRH The Prince of Wales

When you're bored with yourself, marry and be bored with someone else. 

King Edward VIII 

I’ve often written of my dislike for the briefly-reigning King Edward VIII, the one-time Prince of Wales, and later Duke of Windsor. I tend to side with Queen Mary in matters regarding the Royal Family (not that my opinion really matters at all) and tend to keenly feel her disappointment in her eldest son.

But, to be fair, just for a moment, let’s examine the Prince of Wales who is seen here in this 1935 Silver Jubilee card by the Godfrey Phillips Company.

“David,” as he was known within the family was always restless. This was a state of mind which never made sense to his parents—King George V and Queen Mary. The King and Queen were anything but restless. They had their duties, they had each other, they had the empire and they had their family and that was quite enough. Sure, the King and Queen each had their hobbies, shooting and shopping respectively, but at the end of the day, it was a quiet supper en famille which most appealed to them. Prince Edward, on the other hand, yearned for adventure. He was considered quite good looking. Though Mary wasn’t eager to share this with her son, she often wrote to King George just how handsome she thought her fair-haired eldest boy was and that she was pleased that he physically favored, “The old Royal Family.” 

Young Prince Edward
The Royal Collection

David didn’t need his mother to tell him that he was attractive. Everyone else told him. He liked to be told. He liked praise and attention and enjoyed going places where he’d be get both. Sitting at home while his mother sat cataloging her jewels (and truly, this was how Queen Mary spent her evenings) and his father sat smoking and growling to himself about the Empire (which, indeed, is how George spent his evenings), was not appealing. The King was often very vocal (quite violently at times) about his displeasure with his hard-living eldest boy. And, the more the King ranted, the more Prince Edward wanted to be out of the house—typical teenager stuff, but heartily magnified when you’re the Prince of Wales and your dad is the King. What Edward didn’t know was that his mother—though she never said it aloud—often wrote long letters to her husband pleasing with him to be gentler with their son. It didn’t work, but she tried.

Mary, for her part, had no ability to communicate on a personal level with anyone. She was quite shy and inhibited. While she was able to make small talk at parties and while she had no trouble running her myriad charities and talking with her subjects, when it came to talking with her family, she was crippled. This owed a lot to her tumultuous childhood with her egotistical mother and her father, the Duke of Teck, who was, at best, something of a nut. The Queen was very sensitive and loving, but had no means of communicating that. And, so, he children were often left wondering what she was thinking and, when alone with her, would despair that they only talked about vague subjects. Mary’s few attempts to have real conversations with her children were such failures that they would leave her rooms wondering just what had happened.

After the close of the Great War, Mary hoped that “David” would settle down. She had planned to find a way to start to mold him into a proper heir presumptive, but then, her youngest son—Prince John—died during an epileptic seizure. The Queen sank into a private depression. She never spoke of her son’s death. In fact, she rarely ever mentioned him again, but she privately wrote of her secret, deep despair and how it prevented further closeness to her other children.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen couldn’t understand why Britain was so uneasy when they finally had achieved peace. The Prince of Wales began to represent the new sensibilities of the 1920’s—glamour, adventure and excitement. George V and Mary never could understand their son’s sense of boredom. The Queen was the first to point out that she was “never bored.” Yet, “David” was always bored. Always. And, much of the Empire was bored, too.

And so, disappointment built on disappointment. The more the King ranted, the more “David” became bored. He kept questionable company—company which ultimately led to his abdication, and he was, notably, Queen Mary’s deepest disappointment of all.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Miniature Fabergé Piano, c. 1896

Piano by Michael Perchin
Created before 1896
Collected by Queen Mary
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903, frequently listed under the anglicized version of his name, Michael Perchin) was one of Fabergé’s chief workmasters, and, undoubtedly, alongside Viktor Aarne, one of the most brilliant and prolific artists under the employ of Carl Fabergé.

Here’s a nifty example of his work—a lovely miniature piano of nephrite, two-color gold and enamel. We’re not sure the exact year that Perchin made this, but it appears to match his pre-1896 work.

The piece didn’t join the other Fabergé in the Royal Collection until it was somehow acquired by Queen Mary, Consort of George V (1867-1953), sometime between 1922-1931
Queen Mary, like her mother-in-law, Queen Alexandra, before her, had a special fondness for Fabergé’s miniature “objets de fantasie.” These include several examples of miniature furniture in the form of bonbonnières (candy dishes).

This miniature piano of Siberian nephrite is carved and polished to resemble ebonized wood. It is a nearly exact replica of the real thing. The lid opens for use as a bonbonnière and the front drops down to reveal a miniature keyboard in gold and enamel, inscribed C. Fabergé.

The piano belonged originally to Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna—niece of Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII. The piece can be clearly seen in one of the display cases in photographs of the exhibition which Fabergé held in St Petersburg in 1902. We’ll never know how Queen Mary managed to get it, but I’m not surprised that she did. The former Mary of Teck was passionate about retrieving items which once belonged to the British Royal Family or other related Royal Families so that they might be preserved. 

Regular readers of this blog know how much of a fan I am of Her Majesty Queen Mary. If you, too, are a fan of Mary of Teck, you might enjoy our “Teck Support” products—available only in our online store.

Mastery of Design: Diamond Ring with Cameos of George II and Caroline of Ansbach

Diamond Ring with Cameos of George II
and Caroline of Ansbach
Onyx Cameos: c. 1730
Mouting: Early Nineteenth Century
Gold, Silver, enamel, twenty-two European Cut
diamonds
The Royal Collection

Two large European Cut diamonds anchor frames of twenty smaller diamonds which surround onyx cameos of the profiles of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. On the reverse, inscribed on a field of blue enamel is the garter motto: HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Evil to him who evil thinks).


The delicate onyx cameos were created in England around 1730 before the death of Caroline. In the early Nineteenth Century, they were mounted in this ring which was presented to the Prince of Wales (who would later become King Edward VII). Upon the death of Edward VII, his wife, Queen Alexandra, presented this magnificent ring to King George V and Mary of Teck.

Unfolding Pictures: An Unusual Handscreen, 1820

Silhouette Handscreen:
"Lady with a Broom."
French, 1820
Turned and carved ivory handle,
linen gauze, paper and card.
Found at Frogmore House, 1979
"Probably Purchased" by Queen Mary
The Royal Collection

Though fans have been a part of daily life since the earliest of recorded times, the handscreen (a relative of the folding fan) became a popular accessory in the Seventeenth Century and continued to be utilized well into the late Nineteenth Century.


A handscreen, or face-screen, has its roots in the designs of rigid hand-fans. Essentially a decorative panel (usually of linen-covered card, paper or painted canvas) mounted on a turned stick, the handscreen served to shield a lady’s face from the direct heat of the fire. Cosmetics, until recently, were largely wax-based. The heat of the fireplace would often cause a lady’s make-up to run. When not in use, handscreens would often be displayed as decorative items on the mantelpiece.

Given their dual nature—both practical and decorative—handscreens, by the Nineteenth Century, were often created as interesting novelties. This handscreen from 1820 is constructed of painted linen gauze over paper, atop a carved ivory stick. It is distinctive because of the two figures in silhouette which have been cut from black card. By means of a lever on the reverse of the screen, the figures are made to move, giving comedic life to a scene of a woman with a broom beating a portly fellow who holds fire tongs and a shovel.

The creator of this interesting novelty is unknown, but certainly French. The handscreen was found in 1979 among several unusual items which had been tucked away at Frogmore House. The only notation of its origins is that it was “probably purchased by Queen Mary.” Not only is it a charming antique, but it’s also further evidence that Mary of Teck, the Antiquities Magnet, was like a magpie—furnishing her nest with pretty little things.

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.

Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Mary’s Diamond Bangles, 1893

Pair of Gold and Diamond Bangles
Presented to Mary of Teck in 1893
The Royal Collection

In 1893, as a wedding gift, Mary of Teck (after 1911, known as Queen Mary), was presented with a gorgeous pair of gold and diamond bangles by the Bombay Presidency. Knowing how much Mary loved sparkly things, I’m pretty sure she liked them.


There were two things that Queen Mary cared for more than art and jewels—her family and her country. In 1947, she presented these bangles to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh. 

Mastery of Design: Mary of Teck’s Silver Jubilee Necklace and Earrings

Necklace and Earrings
Sixteenth to Nineteenth Century
English
Gold, Enamel, Pearls, Rubies, Emeralds
The Royal Collection

This necklace and earrings (part of a parure which also includes a brooch) is actually a culmination of over three hundred years of workmanship. A masterpiece of gold, delicately-colored enamel, pearls, rubies and emeralds in a pattern of scrolls and snakes, the original links of the necklace date to the Sixteenth Century.


The necklace’s original owner was Mary, Queen of Scots who passed it to her attendant, Mary Seton. Over the centuries, the necklace was passed from family to family and altered considerably, though always with careful consideration in keeping the style of the necklace cohesive. The necklace was extended and the brooch was added in the Eighteenth Century. In the Nineteenth Century, the matching earrings were created.

Bu the 1930’s the parure was in possession of the Countess Bathurst where it was noticed by Queen Mary who admired it greatly. In 1935 for the Silver Jubilee of George V and Mary of Teck, the parure was presented as a gift to the Queen.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Click image to enlarge.

Unfolding Pictures: Queen Mary’s Fabergé Fan

Fabergé Hand Fan
by Henrik Wigström
1912
Owned by Mary of Teck
by whom given Queen Alexandra
Silk, Mother-of-Pearl, Enamel, Gold, Rubies
The Royal Collection

Sometimes, Queen Mary (of Teck, wife of George V) was actually given an object as opposed to her usual methods of acquiring things. This remarkable fan was a gift from her mother-in-law, Queen Alexandra.


Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII were loyal patrons of Fabergé, so much so, in fact, that a branch of Fabergé was opened in London and remained on New Bond Street until 1915 largely because of the frequent commissions of the Royal Family. Mary of Teck shared Queen Alexandra’s passion for the works of Fabergé and especially the designs of Henrik Wigström. The sticks and guards of this fan are Wigström’s design—stamped with his name. The front guard is a masterful creation of mother-of-pearl, two-tone gold, white and blue enamel and Burmese rubies. The back guard and sticks feature the same mother-of-pearl and gold in a simpler pattern. The artist of the watercolor scene on the crème silk leaf is unknown and is not recorded in the catalog of Wigström’s work. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Antique Image of the Day: Mary of Teck, 1868

Mary of Teck, 1868
The Royal Collection

Mary of Teck (1867-1953) was born Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes. She was engaged to the heir to the British throne Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. However, six weeks into their engagement, he died from pneumonia. Mary was then betrothed to his brother, George, the next heir to the throne. Upon George V’s coronation, Mary became Queen Mary, the Queen Consort. She preferred to use the name “Mary” over “Victoria” to avoid having the same name as her husband’s grandmother, the late Queen Victoria.


This interesting hand-tinted photograph of Mary was taken for her mother and later bequeathed to the queen herself. Housed in a gilt locket studded with cabochon lapis alzuli, the image shows Mary of Teck as a cherubic toddler with rosy cheeks.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This is probably disrespectful, but when I think of Mary of Teck, I tend to immediately think of her rather large head. When you look at her jewels at the Tower of London, you can’t help but notice that her crown is quite a lot larger than everyone else’s. You can see evidence of her large head in this photo from her infancy. But, that’s neither here nor there. She was firm, but loving and very well-respected. Sir Henry "Chips" Channon had this to say of Queen Mary: "[she was] above politics ... magnificent, humorous, worldly, in fact nearly sublime, though cold and hard. But what a grand Queen."

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Happy Birthday to Queen Mary!

Happy belated birthday to my favorite deceased Royal, Her Majesty Queen Mary, the one-time Princess Mary of Teck, Duchess of York, Princess of Wales.  The consort of King George V, she was the mother of two kings--one brief and selfish (the Great Kerfuffler™, King Edward VIII) and one who led the empire through the Second World War (King George VI).  Queen Mary died just before her beloved granddaughter ascended the throne as Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Yesterday, May 26th, was actually the anniversary of the late Queen's birth.  She was born in 1867.

Show your love for Queen Mary with one of our exclusive "Teck Support" designs, available only in ouronline store.  

Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Mary's Fabergé Column, 1900

Column and Frame
Fabergé, 1900
Presented to Mary of Teck
by Queen Elizabeth,
The Queen Mother, 1946.
The Royal Collection

Everyone wants to make a good impression on her mother-in-law. Sometimes, that’s not an easy task. Sometimes, it’s downright daunting. Consider, if you will, if your mother-in-law is the Queen Consort and the wife of King George V. That was the situation Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon found herself in when she married “Bertie,” also known as The Duke of York (also the future King George VI).


The woman who would later be called, “The Queen Mother” wasn’t as meek and quiet as she appeared in public and was, in reality, quite sharp and savvy. She knew that Queen Mary had a great passion for jewels and art and they bonded over their mutual attraction to the work of Fabergé.

On May 26, 1946, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother presented her mother-in-law, Queen Mary (the then-Queen Mother) with this magnificent Fabergé creation from 1901. The object of Nephrite, two-colour gold, guilloché enamel, rose diamonds, mother-of-pearl features a delicately carved green column which supports an elaborate frame of diamonds.

This remarkable piece was the perfect addition to Mary of Teck’s existing collection of Fabergé and was rumored to have been one of her favorites. Though part of the Royal Collection, this frame and stand still appears to be on display within the State rooms at Buckingham Palace. 

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

What a great way to make a good impression.

Object of the Day: Queen Mary's Needlework Guild Medal

As a young Princess, Mary of Teck spent most of her pre-married life playing assistant to her strange, rotund, but wildly popular and involved mother Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (the Duchess of Teck). A teenaged Princess May spent her days organizing her mother’s massive amounts of correspondence and helping out with her mother’s many, many charities. One of these charities was the London Needlework Guild which had been started in 1882 by Lady Wolverton as the London Guild. Originally, the Guild was designed to provide clothing to orphans. By the way, we know Lady Wolverton—sort of. Regular readers of this blog have seen a bunch of her jewelry.


In 1897, when Princess Mary Adelaide passed away, Mary of Teck (by then, married and known as The Duchess of York), took over the patronage of the guild and by 1914, it had been renamed “Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild” since, by that point, Mary and her husband had ascended the throne.

Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild was dedicated to supplying clean linens to the boys fighting in World War I. Queen Mary involved herself with the Guild for the rest of her life. In fact, in 1953, she called a meeting of the Guild’s leaders at her home at Marlborough House. She was feeling rather poor and didn’t attend the meeting. She died the next day.

The Guild was renamed Queen Mary’s Clothing Guild in 1986. After the death of Queen Mary in 1953, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother took over as patron. In 2010, in her honor, the Guild was renamed the Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild.

Now, Queen Mary, until her death, was very proud of her clothing guild. And, she was especially proud of the Society ladies who dedicated their time and effort to the cause. As a reward for their efforts, Queen Mary would award a special medal to those ladies who worked with her. The medals of gilt brass and enamel were designed as a Tudor Rose suspended from a bar-pin adorned with the initials “QMNG.”

Here’s one. I recently acquired this for my collection of Royal Memorabilia. I’m not sure to whom it belonged, but it dates to the First World War and it’s in remarkably good condition. I’m particularly thrilled with it because I like to think that Queen Mary herself touched this when she awarded it to its recipient. I don’t know if she really did or not. But, I’m going to continue to think so. 

Painting of the Day: “The Center of Attraction,” James Hayllar, 1875

The Center of Attraction
James Hayllar, 1875
Purchased by Lord Leverhulme in 1891 from The Royal Academy.
The Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool

Apparently, Lord Leverhulme and Mary of Teck shared a passion for collecting. Each of them amassed huge collections of gorgeous objects and did so with a distinct purpose in mind. Queen Mary, it is presumed, did so in order to preserve Britain’s history through the Royal Collection. Lord Leverhulme did so because he thought he could use the images to sell soap. And, they did just that for him. After all, who among us—either in the U.S. or U.K.—hasn’t used Lever Soap at one point in his or her lives?


This painting from 1875 by James Hayllar fit in with Leverhulme’s love of domestic scenes as well as his good marketing sense. Genre paintings such as this were quite the fashion in the late Nineteenth Century. They appealed to a mass market and elicited thoughts of happy, healthy families. Perfect to sell soap! And, an attractive piece of artwork. This, like many others, was retired from advertising use after a time and given to Leverhulme’s wife to add to her collection. It remains part of the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool. 

Unfolding Pictures: A Stuart Dynasty Fan, c. 1600

Fan from the Stuart Collection
Circa 1600
Leather, Bone
Purchased by George V, 1910
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In 1910, as instructed by Queen Mary (of Teck), King George V purchased a set of twenty-four relics reputedly belonging to the Royal Stuart Family of the late Sixteenth and early Seventeenth Centuries. Among these items is this leather-leaf fan with bone sticks and guards which is said to have belonged to King Charles I.


The leather leaf of this fan shows an open-work pattern which was typical of the era, most likely copied from a book. The pattern was transferred to the leather by pricking the leaf with pin holes which traced the design’s outline. The area within the pinholes was then meticulously cut with a knife.

Traces of red and green pigment are still visible on the bone sticks and guards which also show signs of having been adorned with some kind of metal sheeting—copper or possibly tin—which was affixed with copper wire via small holes in the bone.

In 1916, Queen Mary proudly displayed this fan and the other twenty-three items in the newly arranged, “Stuart Room” in Windsor Castle. 

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