 |
| Carnet-de-Bal Circa 1790 French Crown Copyright The Royal Collection Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
This carnet-de-bal (case for a dance card) was made between 1790 and 1795. Many years later, on Christmas Day of 1937, the case was given to Queen Mary by Sir Philip Sassoon.
Her Majesty cataloged the carnet case as featuring portraits of "an unknown lady and gentleman."
The case, constructed of gray enamel over gold is mounted with chased colored gold rims and, on the front and back, oval miniature portraits in enamels, set in diamond frames adorned with birds and flowers. Inside, the case is fitted with an ivory tablet and pencil upon which a lady could write the order of the men with whom she would dance that night.
The gentleman can be identified vaguely as a Knight of St Louis. In this bust-length portrait, he is facing forward and wearing a short gray wig, the blue uniform of his order with a breast-plate and the badge of the military Order of St Louis.
On the other side, the portrait of a lady presents her, also bust-length, facing forward. She is wearing a pale blue dress with a large white bow. Her powdered hair is tied with a blue ribbon.
We can deduce that the carnet case was made in France as The Order of St Louis was instituted by Louis XIV in 1693 as a means of rewarding officers distinguished either in military action or for long service. The style of the case and painting and the dress of the figures in the portraits suggest a date of the early 1790s.
 |
| Carnet-de-Bal Crown Copyright The Royal Collection Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
No comments:
Post a Comment