Masterpiece of the Week: A Garnet Ring with an Onyx Cameo of George IV

Ring with Miniature Cameo of George IV
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on image for larger size.  

Made circa 1820, this handsome gold ring sports a miniature white on black onyx cameo which has been bezel-set into a faceted, foil-backed garnet.

While it was made during the Regency Period, the ring didn't come to the Royal Collection until it was acquired by Queen Mary in 1933.  

Throughout the Regency and the 1820s, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, then the Royal Goldsmiths, supplied George IV with a variety of rings set with cameos and intaglios cut with his likeness. Georgie would give these rings as tokens of affection to his favorites.  

This ring, however, appears to be the only one of its kind, set with a miniature cameo into a garnet.  This cameo, in fact, is the smallest in The Royal Collection.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Admission Ticket for the Coronation of King George IV, 1821

Admission Ticket to the Coronation of King George IV
1821
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today, we're looking at women named Caroline.  Let's start with Queen Caroline,  the contentious consort of King George IV.


What was happening in 1821? Well, the eldest son of mad King George III was about to ascend the throne as King George IV, formerly the Prince Regent. George IV was not a popular King. Most people thought he was a debaucher and was far too quick to spend the empire’s money. Both of these assertions were true. His brother, William IV was a little bit better. And, certainly, his niece, Queen Victoria was a lot better.

Still, upon his coronation in 1821, the public was hopeful that George IV might mend his lavish ways when he ascended the throne. He didn’t. In fact, his coronation was one of the most expensive and ridiculous in history. Of course, the event took place at Westminster Abbey with a very posh banquet to follow at Westminster Hall—the last of its kind to be held there.

This invitation card was for the ceremony in the Abbey itself. The entrance to the Abbey was carefully guarded. It was so guarded, in fact, that admission was refused to Queen Caroline—the King’s “Consort.” You see, the new King and his wife had been separated for many, many years. They had separated after the birth of their daughter, the ill-fated Princess Charlotte (named for the Prince Regent's mama). And, there was certainly no love lost. The soldiers at the entrance refused to allow Caroline to enter. She had definitely not been invited, and did not have a ticket. Much drama ensued.

Most of the blocks used for printing this card were also employed to print the invitation to the banquet in Westminster Hall afterwards, however, on that card, a different stamped border pattern and slightly differing lettering were used.

You’ll notice that the border of the invitation was stamped with the name, “Dobbs.” This was H. Dobbs whose firm (founded in 1803) developed the use of decorative blind stamping for decorating invitation cards.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: A French Jewel-Cabinet, 1787

The Royal Collection

Designed by Jean-Henry Riesener, in 1787 for the French Royal Family, this exquisite jewel cabinet was among the many opulent pieces of furniture seized during the French Revolution. Subsequently, it was put on display in a French Museum, but later sold off due to the increasing debt of the French government at the time. Enter Britain’s King George IV with his fascination for French design. The cabinet was quickly purchased (along with a number of other important French items) and added to The Royal Collection.


This cabinet was designed to reflect its use. Sensitively sculpted three-dimensional figures and fittings of ormolu were carefully added to this highly shined walnut piece to give the overall look of it a sense of being a jewel in and of itself. Today, this is considered one of the finest examples of French furniture-making of the period. We should be thankful to King George IV for rescuing it from an uncertain future so that it can proudly represent the tastes of two empires.

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

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Jewelled Pencil Case, 1880-1900

Pencil Case
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  

I thought, given today is, naturally, associated with all things Irish, I'd show you some objects which relate to Ireland and, in this case, shamrocks.

This sparkling beauty dates between 1880 and 1890 and is a masterpiece of chased gold, rose-cut diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and an opal. The work of an unknown maker, it most assuredly comes from Britain. Though quite sceptre-like, it is actually a case for a pencil. The case is chased and engraved with a rose, a thistle and a shamrock--emblems of the United Kingdom. Even after over a century, the case still contains two spare nibs and three pencil lead fragments.

This oppulent object has been thought to have been made from jewels belonging to King George IV. These jewels may have been worn during George’s 1821 coronation.

Mastery of Design: A Brooch with a Cameo of Four Georges, c. 1820

Cameo Brooch with Four Georges
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on image for high resolution version.

The original part of this brooch, the cameo, was made by Rundell Bridge & Rundell in 1820.  The cameo of white on brown sardonyx was lifted from the top of, as the Royal Collection archives note, a "very elegant & richly chased Snuff Box with devices & Cameo of the four King Georges of England raised on Onyx set with Brilliant Ornaments & Crown' supplied to George IV by Rundell Bridge & Rundell ... on 21 October 1821 for £364."  The cameo is set on a matted yellow gold ground and is surmounted by a diamond-set crown.

Later set in red gold with an open-back brooch mount, the reverse of the cameo is engraved with the Garter motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Shame on him who thinks evil of it): ACCESSIT GEORGE I Aug 1 1714 GEORGE II June 11 1727 GEORGE III Oct 25 1760 GEORGE IV Jan 29 1820.

The silver wreath of rose-cut diamond laurel and palm leaves which was added to the cameo matches the laurel wreaths worn by Georges I-IV in the cameo profiles.

So, how did this cameo go from snuffbox to brooch?  And, when?  

The box, as presented to George IV in 1821, does not appear in the list of George IV’s snuffboxes sold by William IV to Rundells in 1830. Given that, the snuffbox was probably given to one of George IV’s "favorites" shortly after it was presented to him. It's most likely that the snuffbox was  dismantled and the lid converted into its present form as a brooch before its presentation to Queen Mary in July of 1893 as a wedding gift by Earl and Countess Cadogan.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Coburg Sideboard, 1851

Sideboard
Germany, 1850-1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Oh, Prince Albert…you can take the boy out of Germany, but you can’t take the Germany out of the boy. Though courtiers suggested to Queen Victoria that her Consort might want to tone down the whole, “I’m a foreign prince” schtick at various points, Prince Albert was unabashedly German in almost every way. Though Prince Albert’s pre-Victoria life was actually kind of terrible and sad, after his marriage he romanticized Germany and his boyhood and developed a rather peculiar tie to all of the things which he ignored when he actually lived in Germany.

So, by 1851, when the Prince’s baby, “The Great Exhibition” had launched, he was keen to make sure that Germany was represented. And, then, came this sideboard and its heavily carved brethren. Ferdinand Rothbart (1823-1899), a German furniture maker, presented a handsome suite of furniture at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Rothbart was assisted by one Th. Kolb whose history is all but lost now. The suite included four chairs among other objects which were all manufactured by Thomas Hoffmeister and Thomas Behrens in Coburg, Germany around 1850.

The entire lot was commissioned by the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg. Just for the record, let’s not forget that Albert was the Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (which was, by the way, the official name of the Royal Family from Victoria’s 1840 marriage until King George V changed it to “Windsor” on July 17, 1917 during the First World War when there was, understandably, some anti-German sentiment).

After the Exhibition, and after the sideboard—the most admired piece of the lot—was awarded an “Honourable Mention” by the juries there, Prince Albert bought the whole lot, intending to use the pieces in Balmoral Castle. However, during the construction of the new castle at Balmoral, the furnishings were taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh where it was used in the Evening Drawing Room. Evidently, Albert changed his mind and the suite never made it to Balmoral. It remained in Holyroodhouse until 1923 when Queen Mary donated the furnishings to the University of Edinburgh. I find this rather queer as it’s the first time I ever heard of Queen Mary donating anything to anyone. She much preferred having people donate things to her. I suspect, however, that these pieces weren’t really Mary’s cup of tea. She, too, at times tried to distance herself from her German roots. After all, aside from being related to Prince Albert as well, she was also the daughter of the uber-German Duke of Teck. Perhaps she just didn’t want these pieces around. The University grew tired of the suite as well, and, in 1967, donated the lot to the V&A which seems quite content to have it. 


This particular sideboard was described in the 1851 Exhibition catalog as being “in the German-Gothic style of the middle ages.” Well, yes, it is. It’s quite Gothic—complete with ogival arches and repeated motifs similar to Gothic window tracery. The door panels are deeply carved with hunting scenes and motifs. The central doors depict a group of deer in a woodland setting. These are flanked by figures of men with spears, knives and bugles. Boars and bears round out the theme. The whole of the reverse is covered in deep, plush, red velvet, which, where exposed, is faded to brown.

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

Her Majesty’s Furniture: An Italian Baroque Armchair, 1690

Armchair
Italian
Gilded softwood, silk velvet,
Silver Embroidery
1690
The Royal Collection

In furnishing Windsor Castle, King George IV’s taste for continental designs became even more apparent. His selections included ornate French and Italian furnishings with elaborate scroll-work and heavy ornamentation.


This armchair in one of a set of ten purchased by King George IV for Windsor Castle. The epitome of Italian Baroque style, these chairs feature scroll legs adorned with up-turned faces. The rich crimson upholstery is masterfully embroidered with a pattern which mirrors the carved legs and finials. King George paid £18 each for these chairs. They are, certainly, worth much more than that today.

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

Mastery of Design: A Garnet Ring with an Onyx Cameo of George IV

Ring with Miniature Cameo of George IV
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on image for larger size.  

Made circa 1820, this handsome gold ring sports a miniature white on black onyx cameo which has been bezel-set into a faceted, foil-backed garnet.

While it was made during the Regency Period, the ring didn't come to the Royal Collection until it was acquired by Queen Mary in 1933.  

Throughout the Regency and the 1820s, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, then the Royal Goldsmiths, supplied George IV with a variety of rings set with cameos and intaglios cut with his likeness. Georgie would give these rings as tokens of affection to his favorites.  

This ring, however, appears to be the only one of its kind, set with a miniature cameo into a garnet.  This cameo, in fact, is the smallest in The Royal Collection.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Invitation to the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

Invitation to the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
1902
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today, we’ll  have a look at an invitation to the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Given the fact that it was more recent, a few more of these invitations survive than from earlier coronations, but they’re still incredibly rare. An invitation to a coronation was not sent to just anyone. Of course, Edward invited his wife since it was her coronation, too. And, although he was just as much of a cad as his great-uncle, George IV, Edward VII was, at least, much nicer to his wife, the former Alexandra of Denmark, while he was cheating on her.

Edward VII was not quite sixty years old when he ascended the throne. He was Prince of Wales forever since his mother, Queen Victoria, reigned from 1837 to 1901. By the time Edward took the throne, he was already quite set in his ways and there was no hope he’d begin to walk the straight and narrow. He reigned nine years and was succeeded by his second son, who became King George V.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: A French Jewel-Cabinet, 1787

The Royal Collection

Designed by Jean-Henry Riesener, in 1787 for the French Royal Family, this exquisite jewel cabinet was among the many opulent pieces of furniture seized during the French Revolution. Subsequently, it was put on display in a French Museum, but later sold off due to the increasing debt of the French government at the time. Enter Britain’s King George IV with his fascination for French design. The cabinet was quickly purchased (along with a number of other important French items) and added to The Royal Collection.


This cabinet was designed to reflect its use. Sensitively sculpted three-dimensional figures and fittings of ormolu were carefully added to this highly shined walnut piece to give the overall look of it a sense of being a jewel in and of itself. Today, this is considered one of the finest examples of French furniture-making of the period. We should be thankful to King George IV for rescuing it from an uncertain future so that it can proudly represent the tastes of two empires.

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

Mastery of Design: A Brooch with a Cameo of Four Georges, c. 1820

Cameo Brooch with Four Georges
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on image for high resolution version.

The original part of this brooch, the cameo, was made by Rundell Bridge & Rundell in 1820.  The cameo of white on brown sardonyx was lifted from the top of, as the Royal Collection archives note, a "very elegant & richly chased Snuff Box with devices & Cameo of the four King Georges of England raised on Onyx set with Brilliant Ornaments & Crown' supplied to George IV by Rundell Bridge & Rundell ... on 21 October 1821 for £364."  The cameo is set on a matted yellow gold ground and is surmounted by a diamond-set crown.

Later set in red gold with an open-back brooch mount, the reverse of the cameo is engraved with the Garter motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Shame on him who thinks evil of it): ACCESSIT GEORGE I Aug 1 1714 GEORGE II June 11 1727 GEORGE III Oct 25 1760 GEORGE IV Jan 29 1820.

The silver wreath of rose-cut diamond laurel and palm leaves which was added to the cameo matches the laurel wreaths worn by Georges I-IV in the cameo profiles.

So, how did this cameo go from snuffbox to brooch?  And, when?  

The box, as presented to George IV in 1821, does not appear in the list of George IV’s snuffboxes sold by William IV to Rundells in 1830. Given that, the snuffbox was probably given to one of George IV’s "favorites" shortly after it was presented to him. It's most likely that the snuffbox was  dismantled and the lid converted into its present form as a brooch before its presentation to Queen Mary in July of 1893 as a wedding gift by Earl and Countess Cadogan.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: “The Centre Table,” 1826

"The Centre Table"
Ebony, Gilded Pine, Gilt Bronze, Oak and Marble
Morel and Seddon, 1826
The Royal Collection

Avid collector King George IV purchased the inlaid hard-stone top of this table in the early Nineteenth Century. Intricately inlaid table tops where quite the fashion, and examples created by Italian craftsmen were highly sought after.


George IV commissioned the furniture makers Morel and Seddon to create the massive base for the table. Crafted of ebony, gilded pine and gilt bronze, the ornate base was completed in 1826 and was intended for use in the newly appointed Crimson Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. George IV was so pleased with the result, he ordered several other inlaid pieces to add to the room.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
This and all images
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Unfolding Pictures: The George III and the Royal Family Fan, 1790

Fan
1790--The Poggi Workshop
The Victoria and Albert Museum

King George III was actually quite savvy about Public Relations—before he went mad. This characteristic was not inherited by his son, the Prince of Wales and future King George IV. George III was careful to make sure that the Royal Family was portrayed as happy and cohesive and he ensured this by commissioning works of art which showed his brood engaged in civilized and joyful activities. This fan is part of that effort.

Here, we see a fan with leaves of engraved and hand-colored paper. Ir features carved and pierced ivory sticks and guards. The engraving shows King George III and the Royal Family in attendance at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1788. The scene si framed in a floral decorative border with strips of gilded paper at its edges and the guards are decorated with an urn and flowers. Curiously, the reverse is unadorned.

The leaf is based on a painting by Johann Heinrich Ramberg which was recreated in miniature for the fan. The fan's maker was Antonio Poggi, who worked in London from 1776 to 1799. Poggi is immortalized by the words of the novelist Fanny Burney who described a visit to Poggi’s shop in her diary for March 1781, stating that the fans “are more beautiful than can be imagined. One was bespoke by the Duchess of Devonshire for a present, that was to cost £30.”

Mastery of Design: A Diamond-Set Sword and Scabbard, 1750

Diamond-Set
Sword and Scabbard
German, 1750
Additional work
in 1820 by
Rundell, Bridge &
Rundell
The Royal Collection

This sword and scabbard, created around 1750, in Germany features elaborate sculpted gold figures set with diamonds. Clearly meant for ceremonial use as opposed to actual battle, the sword bears a figure of a recumbent lion, winding foliage and a barred helmet.


British King George IV purchased the sword in 1820, but didn’t think it was sparkly enough. He asked the Royal Jewelers at the time—Rundell, Bridge & Rundell—to add additional diamonds. They added many sparklers, particularly two large brilliant-cut diamonds which they supplied themselves.

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.

Painting of the Day: Queen Caroline and Princess Charlotte, 1801

Caroline, Princess of Wales,
and Princess Charlotte
Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1801
Later purchased by Queen Victoria
The Royal Collection

Despite the luxuries of her station, Queen Caroline, reportedly, was an unhappy woman, owing largely to her turbulent marriage to King George IV. It was said that her one great joy—aside from time spent with her daughter, Princess Charlotte, was the time she spent playing her harp. The Queen was painted with both her instrument and her daughter in 1801 by Sir Thomas Lawrence.


Half a century later, Queen Victoria purchased this painting of Queen Caroline and was so fond of it that she commissioned two miniatures of Caroline’s face as seen in this painting. 

Miniature of Queen Caroline
Circa 1850
Watercolor on Ivory
Gugliemo Faija
The Royal Collection

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Admission Ticket for the Coronation of King George IV, 1821

Admission Ticket to the Coronation of King George IV
1821
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today, we're looking at Queens Caroline.  The first was the consort of King George II, the second was the contentious consort of King George IV.  Let's begin with  the latter.


What was happening in 1821? Well, the eldest son of mad King George III was about to ascend the throne as King George IV, formerly the Prince Regent. George IV was not a popular King. Most people thought he was a debaucher and was far too quick to spend the empire’s money. Both of these assertions were true. His brother, William IV was a little bit better. And, certainly, his niece, Queen Victoria was a lot better.

Still, upon his coronation in 1821, the public was hopeful that George IV might mend his lavish ways when he ascended the throne. He didn’t. In fact, his coronation was one of the most expensive and ridiculous in history. Of course, the event took place at Westminster Abbey with a very posh banquet to follow at Westminster Hall—the last of its kind to be held there.

This invitation card was for the ceremony in the Abbey itself. The entrance to the Abbey was carefully guarded. It was so guarded, in fact, that admission was refused to Queen Caroline—the King’s “Consort.” You see, the new King and his wife had been separated for many, many years. They had separated after the birth of their daughter, the ill-fated Princess Charlotte (named for the Prince Regent's mama). And, there was certainly no love lost. The soldiers at the entrance refused to allow Caroline to enter. She had definitely not been invited, and did not have a ticket. Much drama ensued.

Most of the blocks used for printing this card were also employed to print the invitation to the banquet in Westminster Hall afterwards, however, on that card, a different stamped border pattern and slightly differing lettering were used.

You’ll notice that the border of the invitation was stamped with the name, “Dobbs.” This was H. Dobbs whose firm (founded in 1803) developed the use of decorative blind stamping for decorating invitation cards.

Mastery of Design: A Carnelian Ring with an Intaglio of George IV, 1821

Intaglio Ring
Made for George IV, 1821
The Royal Collection

An intaglio (carving in hardstone) of carnelian is set in a gold ring with an open bezel, and a shaped lobed border. The shoulders of the ring are mounted at each side with two cabochon turquoises and a seed pearl forming a trefoil with, each with an applied gold stem. This ring was acquired by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, around 1958.

The intaglio depicts a laureate bust of King George IV (1762-1830) in profile to the right, wearing a tunic. The reverse of the intaglio is inscribed: GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA BRITT REX MDCCCXXI and the band is engraved: GEORGIUS HANOV: REX. SEPR. 1821. Clearly, this was made shortly after George IV’s coronation in 1821 and was most likely intended as a souvenir of the coronation which took place on 19 July 1821. The inscription on the band is curious in that it appears to commemorate George IV’s visit to Hanover that same year. There, he enjoyed a second coronation ceremony and was crowned King of Hanover—traditional for a male monarch at the time--to much celebration. After his brother, William the IV was King, their niece, Queen Victoria was crowned, but was not the Queen of Hanover since the throne of Hanover could not be held by a woman.

George IV enjoyed being depicted as a Roman emperor, and such images were often produced in a variety of media He also enjoyed jewelry and spent heavily at the Royal goldsmiths of the era, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, on numerous rings, lockets and medallions for presentation to his family and courtiers as souvenirs.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: An Italian Baroque Armchair, 1690

Armchair
Italian
Gilded softwood, silk velvet,
Silver Embroidery
1690
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

In furnishing Windsor Castle, King George IV’s taste for continental designs became even more apparent. His selections included ornate French and Italian furnishings with elaborate scroll-work and heavy ornamentation.


This armchair in one of a set of ten purchased by King George IV for Windsor Castle. The epitome of Italian Baroque style, these chairs feature scroll legs adorned with up-turned faces. The rich crimson upholstery is masterfully embroidered with a pattern which mirrors the carved legs and finials. King George paid £18 each for these chairs. They are, certainly, worth much more than that today.