Gifts of Grandeur: The Venus and Cupid Necklace, 1890

Necklace
Enamel, Gold, Diamonds, Pearls, Rubies
French, 1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Nineteenth Century, almost every item told a story. Jewelry had a language all of its own. Sometimes this language was quite subtle, told secretly through arrangements of gemstones. Sometimes, the message was more overt—such as this circa 1890 necklace featuring enameled gold figures (ronde-bosse enamel) of Venus and Cupid, set with a baroque pearl, table-cut diamonds and a cabochon ruby.

Designers of the time loved to turn to historical styles as models. Though made about 1890, this necklace was clearly inspired by the style of the elaborate enamel and gold pendants of the Renaissance.

Typical of jewels of the late Nineteenth Century, the necklace is decorated on the reverse with equal care as was taken to adorn the front. This is the work of Louis Wièse, who, along with his father, Jules, operated a celebrated Parisian jewelry firm which specialized in works inspired by archaeological finds, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: One of a Pair of Beechwood Chairs made for George IV, 1790

Side Chair
Made for George IV
One of a Pair
French, 1790
The Royal Collection

In remarkably good condition, this is one of a pair of chairs dating to 1790 which were made for King George IV who was always redecorating something.
The design of the chair represents Venus, the goddess of Love (a subject in which King George IV was much interested). The chair is emblematic of the goddess whose son, Cupid, carried a bow and special love-encouraging arrows which are represented here—neatly carved into the beechwood backs of the chairs.

This pair of chairs are separated from an originally larger set of fourteen matching chairs which were made for Carlton House by the French maker François Hervé.

Humanitarian of the Week: Diane Baker

Well, of course, there's Pepsi.
Diane Baker with Joan Crawford in Strait-Jacket.

Fans of the campy horror films of William Castle know Diane Baker immediately as “Carol Harbin,” the unhinged daughter of the equally unhinged “Lucy Harbin” played by Joan Crawford in Strait-Jacket. In real life, however, Diane Baker is not a mask-wearing, ax-wielding lunatic. She is, in fact, a very pleasant and talented individual who works tirelessly to ensure that people from many different walks of life will be able to reach their potential.

Miss Baker has shared a screen with many of the greatest stars in history from the aforementioned Joan Crawford to Sir Anthony Hopkins with whom Baker starred in Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs. Her work as an actor has led her to great success in both film and television and led to triumph behind the camera as well. As a producer she began her career behind-the-scenes with Ashiana a story of the end of feudalism and the beginning of democracy in India.

Diane Baker

Her work has garnered her numerous honors and awards, including multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Irvine in Southern California, and Cinecom Career Award. Furthermore, Miss Baker holds a position on the Advisory Board of the Documentary Channel.

However, Miss Baker’s efforts don’t end with show business. Diane Baker serves on the Board of Directors of Roots of Peace, an international non-profit organization working to unearth dangerous landmines in war-torn countries. With these efforts, Miss Baker hopes to empower the local communities to build sustainable crops on mine-free land which had been previously been too dangerous to approach. To raise awareness of Roots of Peace, Miss Baker produced and directed a video on the Afghanistan trip made by Founder/Director Heidi Kuhn and Ambassador of Afghanistan’s wife Shamin Jawad.

Diane Baker also has a keen interest in education. She was invited to the Academy of Art University where she began to build an acting program for graduate and undergraduate students. This success led Miss Baker to be promoted to Executive Director of the School of Motion Pictures & Television and Acting. As part of this, Miss Baker states that her, “future dream is to build a film center for serious filmmakers who want to make meaningful films that will inspire, educate and entertain.”

For the many years of entertainment that she’s brought to us, the many years of hope she’s given to hundreds of people and the bright future she’s helping to build with her interest in education, Diane Baker is our “Humanitarian of the Week.” To learn more about Diane Baker, visit her Web site.

Mastery of Design: A Stomacher of Rock Crystal and Paste Set in Silver, 1760

Stomacher
England, 1760
Silver set with foil-backed rock crystal and paste.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Eighteenth Century, jewelers were able to meet greater consumer demand by offering imitation stones set in silver as alternatives to their costlier pieces. Similar in style to works which glittered with diamonds, these costume alternatives were suitable for travel when transporting real jewels would have been unwise or for families who wanted to give the appearance of great wealth during more difficult financial times. For as long as there’s been jewelry, there’s been costume jewelry, and this stomacher shows just how clever jewelers had become in imitating the real thing.
This bodice ornament, known as a stomacher, was meant to be worn on a lady’s gown between her neckline and waist. Regal and noble ladies had begun to wear such jeweled pieces on the cloth front of their gowns (also called stomachers) and by the mid Eighteenth Century, this was the height of fashion.

Here, we see a combination of faceted rock crystal and paste (basically glass formed from a fine powder—often diamond powder) which has been backed in foil to increase the shine and sparkle. In candlelight, these inexpensive stones looked much the same as diamonds. Even the cut of the stones mimics the popular diamond cut of the day—rose-cut. Being as rose-cut diamonds were usually foil-backed themselves, the look of the costume piece wasn’t too different from the look of an expensive article.

Made around 1760 in England, such a piece would have been sold by a reputable up-scale jeweler, probably quite discreetly.

Punch’s Cousin, Chapter 304

“You’re wise, Girl.” Louis Glapion smiled. “Come with me, then.”

“I will.” Barbara nodded.

“Barbara?” Charles said firmly. “Think about what you’re doing.”

“I have,” Barbara replied softly, kicking gently at the base of the baptismal font with her toes.

At that moment, Charles noticed that neatly tucked behind the font was another bundle—a wrap of blankets in which little Colin was nestled, sleeping peacefully. As casually as possible, Charles looked at the tangle of blankets in Barbara’s arms and realized that it was nothing more than the fabric in which they’d wrapped their few meager belongings which Barbara had cleverly arranged to appear as though she was holding the baby.

“Just let me go, Charles.” Barbara whispered.

“That’s right, Charles,” Louis laughed. “Time to give up.”

“Are you sure?” Charles asked gently.

“Very.” Barbara said. “You’ll know how to get on without me. You’ll know what to do.”

“I will.” Charles nodded.

“Time’s wastin’.” Louis grunted. “We don’t want to keep Marie waitin’.”

“Of course not.” Barbara replied, walking toward Louis.

“Let me carry the baby,” Louis said.

“No!” Barbara snapped. “You may force me to go with you, but I will hold my son.”

“Whatever you say.” Louis shrugged. He turned back to Charles. “Looks like you just got yourself lucky, Boy. Nothin’ worse than life with a sharp-tongued woman.”

Charles smiled and nodded.

As Barbara followed Louis Glapion, she dared not look back at Charles, but hoped he understood what she was doing.

Just as they reached the cathedral doors, what Barbara most feared happened, from behind the font, the baby began to cry.

“What’s that?” Louis snarled, holding out his arm so that Barbara was prevented from moving forward.

Barbara looked nervously at Louis.

“I’d like to explain,” Barbara began.

Meanwhile, Mr. Punch flinched as he watched Arthur vomit. When he was finished, the fevered man fell back onto the hay and moaned wildly.

“Isn’t it time,” Punch began, “that you shut your gob and stopped your slander? You’re dyin’, man.”

“I know.” Arthur groaned. “All the more reason for me t unburden my soul.”

“I won’t hear no more of it!” Punch said.

“Arthur, just quiet down,” Marjani nodded. “You ain’t got so much time now.”

“I gotta say this!” Arthur argued raspily. “Your mum, Your Grace, she hadn’t counted on Barbara runnin’ off. See, that were Barbara’s idea. Barbara knew what your mum was about, and then, when she was with child, she concocted her scheme to steal the diamond. She talks of me seducin’ her, but it were her what seduced me with her talk of riches.”

“Liar!” Punch spat.

“When your mum found out that I betrayed her, she pressed me into service, seein’ an opportunity to get rid of you once and for all. And, then, it became clear. She had to do to you what she done to your da’. But, it couldn’t happen in England, and so, she realized the blessin’ of what Barbara done and let me carry it out.” Arthur rambled almost incoherently.

“You expect us to believe that you were blameless in all of this?” Robert asked. “That you were manipulated by the Duchess and Lady Barbara?”

“It’s true!” Arthur coughed. He reached wildly for Mr. Punch. “It weren’t my fault! She wanted me to kill ya, Sir! She always hated you so! Your mum wanted me to kill ya!”



Did you miss Chapters 1-303? If so, you can read them here.

Card of the Day: His Majesty, King George V

Is it possible that my people live in such awful conditions? I tell you, Mr Wheatley, that if I had to live in conditions like that I would be a revolutionary myself.
--King George V

The penultimate card in the Silver Jubilee series of 1935 by Wills’s Cigarette Company features a portrait of King George V. Upon George V’s accession to the throne, he was faced with a difficult choice—which direction to take his reign. His grandmother, Queen Victoria, was one of the most beloved monarchs in the history of Britain. His father, King Edward VII, was applauded not for his politics, but for his sense of fun and grandeur and the elegance that he brought to the court. What would define George’s reign? Furthermore, how would his consort, Queen Mary, define her role? Her predecessor, Queen Alexandra, was known for her beauty and her compassion, but was also considered quite detached from the Empire. Mary was a more sensible person. Though she was considered rather dull by the people who had enjoyed the long parties given during the reign of Edward VII, everyone agreed that Queen Mary’s quiet dignity was more than admirable.

King George V and Queen Mary let their natural sensibilities guide them in the earliest days of their reign and they quickly realized that their greatest passion was ensuring the safety and comfort of the people of the Empire—nor from afar, but directly and honestly.

While today, we’re used to images of the Royal Family interacting with everyday people, at the time of George V’s accession in 1910, such hands-on involvement was unheard of. Within a few years, the people of Britain embraced King George V and Queen Mary as the King and Queen literally visited people in their homes, took tea in their kitchens, went to their places of work and tried to assess if the common man was truly living a comfortable and safe life. Such direct involvement was a new concept and one which has served to define the role of the Royal Family in Britain ever since.

This card features a handsome portrait of King George. The reverse of the card reads:

HIS MAJESTY, THE KING


Here is a recent portrait of the King who has reigned over a great Empire for twenty-five years. Hallam, the historian, said that the English have been fortunate in their Rulers, and during the past troubled quarter of a century, the nation has ever been sustained by the Royal guidance. These years have seen the most gigantic of wars, the British Dominions grow to independent status, profound constitutional and social upheavals, and the disappearance of ancient Dynasties; yet in the midst of change the British Throne stands firm in the people's affection. More fervently than ever on this happy anniversary, His Majesty's subjects throughout the world unite in the loyal prayer: "God save the King!"

I was excited to find a copy of this recording of an address made by the King and Queen to the children of Britain which demonstrates the familial manner in which they addressed their people.

Object of the Day: A Gold and Pink Stone Stickpin

This is the first stickpin that I was ever given. Most likely from Britain and dating to the late eighteenth century, this stickpin of gold is set with a pink “stone,” which is another way of saying, “glass.” Pieces of jewelry meant to be worn in informal situations or during the day often featured cut and faceted glass or paste since precious stones were considered the stuff of evening.

Aside from the brilliant color of the stone, what’s most appealing about this stickpin is the shape and chasing of the setting which are typically late Victorian. While we tend to think of this as an era devoid of color in men’s fashions, the opposite was true. A gentleman often wore bold colors in his waistcoat or cravat and would most likely have stickpins such as this one in a wide range of colors to match each combination of textiles.