Gifts of Grandeur: Painted Silk Velvet Panels from a Reticule, 1820-1830

Silk Velvet Panel
England, 1820-1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Painted between 1820 and 1830, these silk velvet panels were intended to be used in the construction of a reticule (also known as “indispensibles”). Ostensibly purses, reticules were used in the early Nineteenth Century by women to carry necessities such as smelling salts and a handkerchief. A lady might often make and decorate her own reticule at home using a store-bought lightweight frame of silver or steal with chain handles.

Amateur artists often painted onto silk velvet pieces which could be incorporated into a variety of projects. The painted velvet, owing to the pile of the fabric, afforded an appealing sense of depth and richness. It was also an interesting visual counterpoint to the preferred method of the Eighteenth Century—painting on silk taffeta.

These panels were surely painted at home by a now unknown lady. Both show a lively scene of flowers and butterflies against a ground of gold silk velvet. The shape suggests that they were meant to be sewn onto a reticule frame, but, it somehow never made it. Perhaps they are preserved because of it.

Masterpiece of the Week: Bust of Tsar Alexander III, 1900

Bust of Tsar Alexander III
1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Alexandra, consort of King Edward VII (1844-1925), acquired this bust by Fabergé of Tsar Alexander III. The miniature bust, dating to 1900, is carved of smoky quartz and mounted on a column of nephrite applied with the imperial double-headed eagle. Obviously, the portrait was created after the Tsar’s death in 1894.

The piece was central to Queen Alexandra’s collection of Fabergé miniatures. Her Majesty was the Tsar’s sister-in-law. It’s possible that the bust was a gift to her from the Dowager Tsarina Maria Feodorovna.

Another bust of Alexander III, cast in gold, was included as the “surprise” inside Fabergé’s Alexander III Commemorative Egg, given to Maria Feodorovna at Easter 1909 by Tsar Nicholas II.

The Tsar and Tsarina frequently visited with their British royal relations, showing close dynastic ties, in England, Russia or Denmark. Queen Victoria recorded such a visit paid by Alexander III (then the Tsarevich) and Maria Feodorovna (Minny) in her Journal on July 1, 1873:

“The Csarevitch led me in [to dinner], as 36 years ago his Grandfather, the Emperor Nicholas had done. He is very goodnatured. I wore the Russian order, & sat between him & Minny.” 

Victoria is said to have mourned deeply when she received word from the new Tsar Nicholas II, that his father, Alexander II, had died. He wrote “dearest beloved father has been taken from us. He gently went to sleep.”

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.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Monkey in a Wig Snuffbox, 1872-1922

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Porcelain snuffboxes from the late Nineteenth Century are considerably rarer than those of gold or hardstone since, despite being made in far greater quantities, most of them didn’t have the sturdiness necessary to survive. Snuffboxes made from porcelain mirrored the shapes of those of precious metal or stone and featured painted scenes or portraits.

The largest manufacturer of these boxes was Meissen in Germany, however, this example was produced in Fürstenberg ca.1750. In this case, the porcelain was later mounted into this form. The gold mounts date to 1872 and were changed in 1922.

The box is adorned with birds on the outside. These are painted in a realistic manner. However, the interior of the box features some odd adornment which is decidedly not realistic. The animals, on the inside, are treated as people, dressed in human costume. The predominant scene is that of a monkey in a wig who is administering an enema to a prostrate cat.

That's a sentence I don't get to type very often.

This box was once owned by HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent—the wife of the Duke of Kent (son of King George V and Queen Mary). 

History's Runway: A Silver Tobacco Box, 17th C.

Silver Tobacco Box, c. 1655
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Western Europeans were introduced to tobacco in the Sixteenth Century when the herb was brought from the Americas.  From about 1570, tobacco was highly prized for both its alleged medicinal and obvious narcotic qualities.  By the 1630s, tobacco use was accepted (for men) as a fashionable habit for all classes though the cost was rather prohibitive for those without extra spending money.  For centuries, tobacco was chewed or smoked in a pipe, or combined with other herbs or spices to create snuff which was inhaled through the nostrils. 

Given the cost of tobacco, it was only fitting that special containers would be created for it, especially ones meant to appeal to wealthy tobacco users.  A precious tobacco box was quite the fashionable accessory.  This silver tobacco box is an excellent example of that trend.  Made around 1655, it was intended for personal use, its slightly-domed oval lid engraved with heraldic ornament—namely the crest of the Wayte Family from the Isle of Wight. It is further adorned with a cabled wire ornament at the rim and base. The back bears the inscription: “JW / 1680 / R W Jan 1st / 789.”  Though the inscription was finished in 1680 (the date of presentation), the hallmark for the creation of the box indicates 1655-1656.

The owner of this box would have carried it in his pocket.  Due to this practice, the corded molding has been worn away.  

To Serve and Project: The Dudley Box, 1579

This pretty little box was made in England in 1579 to hold sweetmeats. Gifts of sweetmeats, sugared fruits and candies were traditional presents at New Year in the Royal Court. Sometimes these were presented in special, and often precious, containers such as this one.

The crest of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (died 1588) is inlaid im silver in the lid. Dudley was the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, and was, therefore, a very important fella about the court. No doubt, this box must have been made especially for Dudley as a New Year's gift.

Curiously, after the box had been donated to the V&A, it was untouched for many years. In fact, it was not opened until 1968 when the crest of Dudley and inscribed date was discovered for the first time.

The box is decorated in the technique known as damascening, a process, especially popular in the Sixteenth Century, in which gold and silver ribbon is forced into a cross hatched surface of iron using a copper tool. The base iron was darkened with heat and chemicals so that it would develop a blue or black hue which would contrast with the gold and silver ornament.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Gustavus III of Sweden Box, 1751

The Gustavus III Box
Swedish, 1751
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve looked at a lot of pretty boxes over the past few years and a half. Here’s one more. This enameled gold box is set with a miniature in watercolor on ivory under glass of Gustavus III of Sweden (1746-1792), surrounded by moonstones.

On the base, a miniature of a double-hulled paddle-wheeled ship has been mounted. On the front, a view of a harbor with warships is displayed. The harbor has been identified as the Swedish naval port of Karlskrona. The hinge side of the box features a scene of a fortification which has been identified as Sveaborg, the Swedish fort which is now part of Helsinki. The box’s ends are also mounted with watercolors on ivory of a Swedish gun barge on one side, and, on the other, a Swedish frigate.

King Gustavus III of Sweden presented this box to Patrick Miller of Dalswinton (1731-1815)—a British banker, inventor and patron of the poet Robert Burns, no earlier than 1791. That’s the date the box was made. King Gustavus III died in 1792 after enduring an infected wound following an assassination attempt at a masked ball. How very Pine Valley-ish.

The box was given to Miller after he offered his double-hulled ship with a paddle wheel to the King. This ship is depicted on the base. The ship--the paddle turned by manpower-- became known in Sweden as “the British sea monster.”

Gifts of Grandeur: The Lehigh Valley Railway Brooch, 1948

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Isn’t this wonderful? Here we see a gold brooch in the form of a diesel locomotive, set with diamonds, sapphires and rock crystal. It’s the work of an unknown American jeweler and dates to 1948.

Jewelers often created special to commemorate notable events. This brooch was made to mark the introduction of diesel locomotives to part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the U.S. as locomotives powered by diesel were beginning to replace older steam locomotives. Such an event was exciting and important, hence the creation of this piece.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad was first constructed in the Nineteenth Century to transport Anthracite coal from Pennsylvania to America’s east coast, earning the nickname “the route of the black diamond,” in honor of its profitable cargo. To commemorate this, a black diamond shape can be seen on the company's logo on the front of this brooch.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Balmoral Brooch, 1895

Commemorative Brooch
Collingwood & Co., 1895
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Still in its original presentation box, this commemorative brooch was given to the actress Winifred Dolan (1867-1958) by Queen Victoria following Dolan’s special command performance of R. C. Carton's play “Liberty Hall.” The play was performed at Balmoral Castle on September 16, 1895. In the play, Miss Dolan played the role of “Miss Hickson.” The brooch was made by Collingwood & Co. especially for the Queen. Collingwood created several such commemorative pieces which Queen Victoria gifted to visitors or special guests.

As was the style of the time, the jewel is designed as bar brooch featuring the arms of the Royal Victorian Order, enameled in red on a gold base with six imitation pearls. The presentation box of green leather is trimmed with gold and lined in beige satin and velvet. 

Gifts of Grandeur: King George V's Tortoiseshell Box, c. 1910

Box of Tortoiseshell, silver gilt and a rose-cut diamond.
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

When we think about the Royal Collection, especially from the period after the reign of Edward VII, those familiar with the provenance of most of the pieces therein, immediately think of Queen Mary, the ultimate collector.  However, Mary wasn't the only crowned head from 1910-1936 with an eye for attractive objects.  Her husband, King George V also had a knack for collecting handsome antiquities, treasures, and contemporary works.

This masculine box of tortoiseshell, gilt silver and a single rose-cut diamond dates to the early Twentieth Century and was made specifically for His Majesty George V and fits perfectly with his personal collection of simple, elegant pieces.  The polished lid is rimmed with gilt mounts set with a relief of berried laurels.  When the lid is removed, the gilded interior shows an engraved, crowned cypher--GVR.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Hull Grundy Garnet Aigrette, c. 1770

This and all related images from The British Museum

With its trembler bird which would have quivered as the wearer of this jewel walked, this aigrette of rich garnets set in gilt silver would have been the height of fashion in the mid Seventeenth Century when it was made.  

Another jewel from the Hull Grundy Gift to The British Museum, this aigrette is one of three similar pieces in the collection.

Click Image to Enlarge

Gifts of Grandeur: The Jean-Pierre Ador Snuffbox, 1762-66

Enameled Gold Snuffbox
1762-1766
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The base of this handsome snuffbox bears the arms of Baron Nicolaus von Korff (1710-66) who was a distinguished soldier in the Russian army. The, made in St. Petersburg between 1762-66, is enameled with the five chivalric orders that the baron received: the Russian Orders of St Andrew (cover) and Alexander Nevsky (right side), Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (front), Polish Order of the White Eagle (back) and Order of St Anne of Holstein (left side).

Made by Jean-Pierre Ador, the box is part of the magnificent Gilbert Collection at the V&A. The original stamped leather box remains—still lined with silk. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Dudley Box, 1579

This pretty little box was made in England in 1579 to hold sweetmeats.  Gifts of sweetmeats, sugared fruits and candies were traditional presents at New Year in the Royal Court.  Sometimes these were presented in special, and often precious, containers such as this one.   

The crest of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (died 1588) is inlaid im silver in the lid. Dudley was the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, and was, therefore, a very important fella about the court.  No doubt, this box must have been made especially for Dudley as a New Year's gift.

Curiously, after the box had been donated to the V&A, it was untouched for many years.  In fact, it was not opened until 1968 when the crest of Dudley and inscribed date  was discovered for the first time.

The box is decorated in the technique known as damascening, a process, especially popular in the Sixteenth Century, in which gold and silver ribbon is forced into a cross hatched surface of iron using a copper tool. The base iron was darkened with heat and chemicals so that it would develop a blue or black hue which would contrast with the gold and silver ornament.  

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.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Theatrical Miniature, 1837

Scene from Goethe's Torquato Tasso:
The Meeting of Tasso and Leonora d'Este
Wilhelm Hensel, 1837
Oil on Card, Gold Frame
Presented by the artist to Prince Albert, 1843
The Royal Collection

Prince Albert and Queen Victoria both enjoyed the theater. Victoria particularly favored “foreign” productions—a trait for which she was often criticized by those who thought she should be more visibly supportive of English theater.


Among the many objects they collected, Victoria and Albert often obtained images which reminded them of their love of the theatrical. Prince Albert acquired this miniature painting in 1843. Painted in 1837, the painting depicts a crucial scene from Goethe’s Torquato Tasso—a drama about the life of one of Italy’s most important Renaissance poets.

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

Gifts of Grandeur: The Henry Wilson Belt Clasp, 1905

Hopefully, this week, I'll get back on the usual schedule with everything, including "A Recipe for Punch."  For now, let's look at this...

Click on image to enlarge.
Belt Clasp
Henry Wilson, 1905
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the jeweler Henry Wilson (1864-1934). Wilson’s jewelry is exceptional both for its form as well as the quality of the enameling and gem selection. He tended toward interesting color combinations and chose stones with only the richest colors. Wilson, a former architect (like many jewelers of his time) designed pieces which resonated with sculptural and architectural qualities, achieving a three-dimensionality which was unknown until that point. 

This is one of the most unusual pieces of Wilson’s that I’ve seen. This silver belt clasp was made in three parts. It is set with amethysts, garnets, williamsite (a green mineral), moonstones, agate, chalcedony and cat's-eye quartz. The central piece is adorned with sprays. Dating to 1905, this clasp was made to be worn on a variety of belts. 

Gifts of Grandeur: A Swiss Enameled Gold Necklace, 1860

Enamelled Gold Necklace
Switzerland, 1860
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When visiting Switzerland in the late Nineteenth Century, fashionable people often returned to their homes with examples of the enameled gold jewelry for which the Swiss had become celebrated.


This enameled gold necklace was a gift purchased in Switzerland and comes from the collection of an anonymous donor to the V&A. Showing the fine enamel-work of the Swiss, the necklace features multiple portraits of ladies of fashion, linked by heavy gold chain.

Such a souvenir would have been highly coveted. This style of necklace was especially in vogue during the London Season of 1861.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Harrods Shoe Snuffbox, c. 1870

Snuffbox, 1870-1880
The Talbot Collection at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Nineteenth Century, boots and shoes were symbols of good luck. So, it was only natural that trinkets and personal objects should take the form of footwear. This snuffbox, dating between 1870 and 1880, is an excellent example of that phenomenon. The box is made in the shape of a fashionable Victorian lady’s button-boot of the 1860s. It is even adorned with metal studs just like the real thing would have been. The top of the boot forms the container for the snuff.

It’s a sure thing that this box was made in England, but other similar examples were imported from France at the time. The lid of the box is missing, but it’s still quite attractive. While most collectible snuffboxes were made of golf, hardstone or precious metals, some—like these novelty boxes—were made of wood. The mahogany box has been carefully hand painted, partly ebonized, and adorned with brass stringing, brass nails in the sole and heel, and brass and mother-of-pearl buttons.

Now part of the V&A’s Talbot Hughes Collection, the box was originally donated to the V&A by Messrs. Harrods of London in 1913.