Mastery of Design: The Townshend Turquoise Medusa, 1800-1869

Bas Relief Carved Cameo in Turquoise Depicting a Female Figure, possible Medusa.
1800-1869
The Collection of the Reverend  Chauncy Hare Townshend
Previously owned by H.P. Hope
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Among the gorgeous collection of jewels amassed by the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend is this turquoise and gold jewel made into a cameo of a female head, probably Medusa. The stone was carved between 1800 and 1869. In 1869, it was set into a ring for purposes of display.

Turquoise has been mined for centuries, first by the Ancient Egyptians in Sinai over 6000 years ago. The stone’s sky-blue color comes from copper. Its softness makes it perfect for carving.

Many of the jewels in the Reverend’s collection, including this stone, were originally owned by Henry Philip Hope, a brother of the novelist and antiquary Thomas Hope. H. P. Hope formed a famous collection of diamonds and precious which once included the Hope blue diamond, now in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.

Unfolding Pictures: The Vanier-Chardin Fan, 1690

Folding Fan with a Leather and Paper Leaf, Ivory sticks and guards and mother-of-pearl ornament.
French, 1690
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This folding fan was made in the late Seventeenth Century and depicts a domestic scene in the sort of pastoral setting which was fashionable at the time. Here, amongst a view of shepherds an aristocrats, we see a child who has been fitted with tapes from the shoulders. This was a way of keeping a child steady while he or she learned to walk.

Folding fans such as this one originated in Japan and were introduced to Europe in the second half of the Sixteenth Century. While the construction of such fans was adopted by Europeans, they did away with traditional Asian adornment in favor of the European styles of the time. Carving and painting skills specific to fan production soon developed and an entire industry thrived for centuries as a fan was an essential accessory in the formal dress of a wealthy woman.

A perfect example of the work of the era, this French fan is constructed with a leather leaf which as been painted with gouache. It features sticks of pierced ivory, with mother of pearl washers and a brass rivet. The reverse of the leaf is mounted with paper which has also been painted in gouache

The leaves each have a ground wash of silver, some of which is visible in the sky and on the ground in the scenes. The reverse is painted with roses, peonies and jasmine. The original fan box of imitation and pink silk survives.

Sunday Morning Special: A Glimpse into The Royal Collection

Queen Mary's Fabergé Automaton of an Elephant
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This video from the Royal Collection gives us an up-close look at some of the treasures in Her Majesty’s collection. Of note, a detailed examination of the new Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding gown and a peek at the exceptional collection of Fabergé acquired by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

To Serve and Project: A Meissen Saucer, 1723

Meissen Saucer, 1723-24
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This saucer of hard-paste porcelain is painted in enamel colors with scenes of “New Amsterdamers”-- half-length figures in European dress. They are set against a cloudy sky which belies the cheerful scene of a man bargaining with a woman for produce. The figures are placed within an oval frame of gilt scrolls with lustre panels and feathery foliage in two tones of crimson. An ornament of gilt lace and three red lines offsets the foot-ring.

This piece was made in Meissen, Germany between 1723 and 1724 by Johann Gregorius Höroldt (1696-1775). The figures are taken from a print in Carel Allard's “Orbis Habitabilis Oppida et Vestius” which was first published in 1680 in Amsterdam. The print is now known as “New Amsterdam” and lends its name to this style of figures.

Coming this Week to Stalking the Belle Époque

With Valentine’s Day coming soon, I thought we’d spend the week, among other things, taking a look at some historical cards and love notes from around the world. Of course, Punch’s Cousin will continue as Mr. Punch and his companions have finally boarded the ship bound for England. But, the ship hasn’t left yet, and when it does, a host of evil-doers will try their best to make sure that our friends aren’t on it.

Meanwhile, I’d like to remind you about the Stalking the Belle Époque forum. Registration is quick and easy. You can create a new account or log-in with your favorite social networking site. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to communicate with other readers of Stalking the Belle Époque and share your unique thoughts and ideas.  Just click on the parrot on the right side bar to get started. 

It promises to be an exciting week. Love is in the air. Love…and, if Mr. Punch has his way, clubs.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Beautiful Sky of Italy Table, 1845



The Beautiful Sky of Italy Table
Michelangelo Barberi, 1845
The Victoria & Albert Museum




This masterpiece of micromosaic and furniture-making was made for Francis Needham, Earl Kilmorey, and was exhibited in London at the Great Exhibition of 1851 where it received a Council Medal, the highest honor awarded.

Made in Rome in 1845 by Michelangelo Barberi (1787 -1867), the circular micromosaic tabletop depicts a central group of four genii floating in the open sky—each bears the attributes of painting, music, architecture and sculpture. Around the circumference of the table are eight views of Italian cities: Piazza del Duomo, Milan; St. Mark's Square, Venice; Piazza della Signoria, Florence; St. Peter's Square, Rome; the Coliseum, Rome; the Riviera di Chaia, Naples; St. Rosalia, Palermo and the Harbor at Genoa. The table base is gilt bronze and is made up of four legs surmounted with rams heads.

More than just majestic sites in Italy, the views depicted on this tabletop are those that were visited by Tsar Nicholas I on his Italian tour of 1845. In 1846 the Tsar commissioned a tabletop directly from Michelangelo Barberi who referred to the composition as “Il bel cielo d'Italia” (the beautiful sky of Italy). The original table made for Tsar Nicholas I, showed a central composition of a group of putti holding a portrait of the Tsarina Alexandra. That work is now at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Barberi next made this similar table for the Earl.

Michelangelo Barberi was known as “Cavaliere” and was the leading micromosaicist of the Nineteenth Century. One member of a celebrated family, his brothers were painters and his father Camillo was an architect, painter and designer who served as Director of Fortifications and Prisons for Italy following his meeting with the Emperor Napoleon in Milan in 1804. This illustrious family lived in Paris for a spell, but later returned to Rome during the reign of Pius VII (1800-1823).

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The John Addis Jun Ware Bottle, 12th C.

Jun Ware Bottle, Song Dynasty, 12th C.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This celestite blue bottle is representative of a type of Chinese ceramics known as Jun ware. Overall, Chinese ceramics are typically categorized by the geographical area in which they were made since the kilns of a particular region usually only produced one or two types of ceramics at any given time in history.

Jun ware was a product of the kilns of the Henan province, reaching its apex during the Song dynasty (960-1279). This pottery is identified visually by its coarse stoneware body and its shiny blue glaze. Another identifying characteristic is the presence of a red spot or spots on the vessels, a visual cue evident in this example. This is due to the copper-rich pigment on the ceramic body beneath the glaze.

While some types of Chinese ceramics were made exclusively for the imperial household, Jun ware, conversely, was produced for popular. By the Qing dynasty the status of these ceramics had elevated since the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1736-95) was an admirer of them and used them for decorating his home.