Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Hat Badge with St. George and the Dragon, 1520

Hat Badge
English, 1520
The Royal Collection

St. George has long been emblematic of Britain and his figure has graced many an important work of art from jewelry to painting. Here, we have a high-relief figure of St. George on horseback as he slays that eternally troublesome the dragon. St. George, as he usually does, holds aloft a sword with a seed-pearl handle. The saint’s armor is adorned with a pattern of crimped gold ribbons. The same pattern is repeated on the translucent red enamel of the horse's caparison. The background shows a walled town in opaque white and blue enamel. George is not the only figure in the scene. To his right is a Princess, kneeling in prayer. The whole of the scene is mounted in a raised frame with scale-like ornament in black enamel and gold and is meant to be worn as a hat badge.


The reverse of this badge which dates to 1520 features an arabesque-style ornament of the same crimped gold ribbons which are inset with stylized gold rosettes on a translucent green enamel.

This is part of a suite of small gold and enamel reliefs (émail en ronde bosse), made by the same workshop. The exact identity of the workshop is uncertain and theories about its location range from Spain and southern Germany to the Danube region.

The oddest thing about this hat badge is the unusual representation of St. George. In usual iconography, St George is represented as a young beardless knight with helmet. However, here St. George is shown with a full beard and curly hair.

How the badge came to be entered in the Royal Collection is unknown, however, it is exactly the type of jewel that shop-a-holic King George IV liked to purchase. It’s thought to have been acquired from Rundell, Bridge & Rundell (the Royal goldsmiths from 1797 to 1840). When one looks back at the historic log of inventories of the Collection, one can see an entry that states the existence of a “curious ancient enamelled Badge of the Garter, in glass case” listed in an inventory of jewels at Windsor Castle in 1830. Most likely, that refers to this particular jewel. 

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.”

The Home Beautiful: "A Catte," by Mary, Queen of Scots c. 1569

A Catte
Mary Queen of Scots
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This embroidered canvas panel, dating to about 1569, was made by Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) who was known as a skilled needleworker.

Mary has pictured a ginger cat with a mouse—set against a checkered floor. Her cipher is prominent. This piece, like much of the Queen’s needlework, was created between 1569 and 1584, during the period when Mary had fled from Scotland and was held captive in England by the Earl of Shrewsbury. Together with Shrewsbury’s wife, Mary Queen of Scots embroidered many such canvas panels which had been drawn out for her in black silk by an embroideress.

Mary based the figure of the cat on an image from a woodcut in” Icones Animalium” by Conrad Gesner--an illustrated tome of natural history which was published in Zurich in 1555. Some suggest that she picked the theme of “A Catte” to indicate that she saw herself as the mouse and Queen Elizabeth as her captor.

Drawing of the Day: The Yellow-Breasted Chat and the Turk's Cap Lily, c. 1765

The Yellow-Breasted Chat and The Turk's Cap Lily, c. 1765
Mark Catesby
Purchased by King George III
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

From the Royal Collection, we have this handsome watercolor by Mark Catesby (1682-1749). Catesby created the painting of a small bird (known as a Yellow-Breasted Chat) with a Turk’s Cap Lily. To give emphasis to the bird, Catesby has only faintly sketched-in the plant with it’s maple-shaped leaves. 

The painting was created for one Thomas Cadell from whom it was purchased by King George III in 1768.

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.

Unusual Artifacts: The Hand and Arm of Victoria, Princess Royal, 1843

The Royal Collection

Queen Victoria had a great desire to capture moments in the lives of her family. She was very much interested in recording the growth of her children so that she could remember them at all stages of their lives. This desire took many forms. She had miniature portraits painted of her children as they grew. She even had jewelry commissioned which used their baby teeth as the principal ornament.


When Victoria died in 1901, a touching (and to modern eyes, quite odd) collection of marble arms, hands and feet was found in her private rooms at Buckingham Palace. The Queen had commissioned sculptor Abraham Kent (who would most likely not be remembered were it not for these objects) to create these marble keep-sakes of her children’s features so that she could remember them when they were small. Kent took a plaster mold of the Princess Royal’s hand and arm in order to capture every detail when he was sculpting the stone. The process of obtaining the casts had to be done while the children were sleeping as they would not stand for it while they were awake.

The Royal Collection

This sculpture, like its brethren, was kept on a crimson velvet cushion under a glass dome to ensure that the marble would stay a pristine white. It really is quite beautiful in its own way. We must remember, when we view artifacts such as this, that this was before everyone had a camera in their pocket. Today, we have so many ways of recording our lives. Victoria, like many other mothers throughout time, simply wanted a way to recall the sweetest years of her children’s lives.

Drawing of the Day: Children Watching a Puppet Show

Children Watching A Puppet Show
Stefano della Bella
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Oddly enough, here’s another drawing which I’ve not seen before. This one is by an Italian artist with a sing-song name, Stefano della Bella (1610-1664). The work of black chalk, pen and ink was purchased by King George III from Consul Joseph Smith in 1762, and depicts a group of children watching a puppet show. A young mother holds her child on her lap so that the baby can see the show, too.

I am familiar with a similar drawing by Della Bella which is housed at the British Museum. While the subjects are similar, the example in the British Museum includes a bagpiper accompanying the show.

Given the age of the piece, the paper has deteriorated a bit and the other sketches on the verso are visible.

Obviously, the drawing is incomplete, and, is clearly a study for another work—perhaps a painting.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Fabergé Duckling, c, 1908

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

Throughout the years here, we've looked at many animals by Fabergé which had been collected by Queens Alexandra, Mary and Elizabeth II.  Among the lot are four models of ducks, two of which we've seen.  However, this one which has recently been added to the Royal archive is my favorite.

The work of Henrik Emanuel Wigström (1862-1923), c. 1908, this expressive duck is modeled in aventurine quartz with eyes of rose diamonds, gold.  He was commissioned by King Edward VII as part of the famed "Sandringham Commission."  The legs of the duckling are crafted of chased red gold.

Crown Copyright
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Unusual Artifacts: A Royal Paper Clip

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

I'm honestly not sure of the year of creation of the prolific bent metal paperclip of which we are all so familiar.  Still, even if those things were kicking around in the last quarter of the Nineteenth Century, they'd not have been attractive enough to hold the many bits of correspondence which crossed the desk of Queen Victoria.  No, not at all.

Her Majesty the Queen much preferred paperclips with a little panache and some element of cuteness.  Hence, we have this ducky clip.  Made of cast brass, the clip depicts the head of a duck holding a crinkled leaf in its mouth.  A spring mechanism on the inside allows the beak to open to grasp paper.  It appears that the eye is set with a pearl or something like it.  The reverse of the duck is slotted to allow for the clip to be hung from a hook or pin for organization.

Antique Image of the Day: Mary of Teck, 1868

Mary of Teck, 1868
The Royal Collection

Mary of Teck (1867-1953) was born Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes. She was engaged to the heir to the British throne Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. However, six weeks into their engagement, he died from pneumonia. Mary was then betrothed to his brother, George, the next heir to the throne. Upon George V’s coronation, Mary became Queen Mary, the Queen Consort. She preferred to use the name “Mary” over “Victoria” to avoid having the same name as her husband’s grandmother, the late Queen Victoria.


This interesting hand-tinted photograph of Mary was taken for her mother and later bequeathed to the queen herself. Housed in a gilt locket studded with cabochon lapis alzuli, the image shows Mary of Teck as a cherubic toddler with rosy cheeks.

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

This is probably disrespectful, but when I think of Mary of Teck, I tend to immediately think of her rather large head. When you look at her jewels at the Tower of London, you can’t help but notice that her crown is quite a lot larger than everyone else’s. You can see evidence of her large head in this photo from her infancy. But, that’s neither here nor there. She was firm, but loving and very well-respected. Sir Henry "Chips" Channon had this to say of Queen Mary: "[she was] above politics ... magnificent, humorous, worldly, in fact nearly sublime, though cold and hard. But what a grand Queen."

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

Painting of the Day: “Home (The Return from the Crimea)” by Sir Joseph Noël Paton, 1859

J. Breese, 1855
Personal Collectio
of Queen Victoria
The Royal Collection

The Crimean War lasted from 1853 until 1856 and was, essentially, a struggle of the great European powers for control over the lands of the failing Ottoman Empire. Queen Victoria was very much affected by the atrocities of the Crimean War and had great sympathy for the British soldiers who were killed or wounded during the battle. Victoria often commissioned photographs of soldiers who returned home to England—broken and battered. She kept these photographs as reminders of the sacrifices made by her people and the hideousness of war.

Home (Return from the Crimea)
Sir Joseph Paton, 1859
Commissioned by Queen VictoriaThe Royal Collection

In 1859, Queen Victoria commissioned painter Sir Joseph Paton to produce a commemorative, monumental work in honor of those soldiers who returned from the Crimea. The painting depicts a wounded soldier lovingly welcomed home by his wife and mother. The composition suggests something of a Pieta scene or image of Christ being removed from the cross. While the scene is filled with comforting images of home such as a sleeping infant and a fishing rod, they are in conflict with the more grisly elements of the scene—the solider’s wounds and the gruesome souvenirs he has brought with him. Victoria was clearly upset by the war and kept this painting in a prominent place. Today, it is displayed as part of the Royal Collection.

Royal Pets: Her Majesty’s Yacht and its Occupants

The Royal Collection

HMY Victoria and Albert II served as the official yacht of the Sovereign from 1855 until 1904. The vessel was used exclusively by the Royal Family and was operated and maintained by The Royal Navy. Queen Victoria and her family very much enjoyed having pets around as did King Edward VII. Here, we see evidence that the Royal pets didn’t stay at home when their masters went yachting.


In the first image, a crewmember who has been identified as a Lieutenant Watson patiently allows a Persian cat to perch atop his head. Someone on the right is pointing to the spectacle with much amusement. The image is listed as being taken in 1905, probably by Princess Victoria of Wales. I think the date is approximate. If the photo was, in fact, taken on HMY Victoria and Albert II, the date would have to have been prior to 1904.

The Royal Collection

Similarly, in this next photo, we see the same cat about to have a bit of a tussle with a scrappy terrier known as Mac. We can only hope that any quarrels these two might have had were resolved so that they could be good shipmates.

Painting of the Day, “The Music Party,” Philippe Mercier, 1733

The Music Party
Philippe Mercier, 1733
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Philippe Mercier, painter and librarian to the Prince of Wales from 1728-1738, often sketched and painted scenes of daily life at the royal residences. This scene of a music party from 1733 shows a typical day in the life of the Royal Family of the Eighteenth Century. Here, we see Frederick, The Prince of Wales playing the cello. He is accompanied by his sister, Princess Anne, playing the harpsichord. Anne had been taught by Handel himself and by all accounts was just as skilled a player as he instructor. Also with them are Princess Caroline on the lute and Princess Amelia who reads aloud from a book of Milton’s poetry.

This painting was criticized for a number of reasons. First of all, Frederick’s love of playing the cello was considered unseemly and not appropriate for a man of his station. Similarly, the princesses are attired in costumes which were considered common and not the stuff of royalty. Still, Mercier argued that he depicted the scene as it actually happened.

One of three versions of this same scene, the other two, painted after this one, show the sitters in a more opulent outdoor setting and in costumes which were generally considered to be more fitting to their royal dignity.

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

Gifts of Grandeur: A Kangaroo and its Baby by Carl Fabergé, 1913

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

In November of 1913, King George V purchased this carving by Carl Fabergé from Fabergé's London branch as a gift for his wife, Queen Mary. The humorous carving of a kangaroo and baby cost the King £23.

Like her mother-in-law, Queen Alexandra, before her, Queen Mary collected the extraordinary range of animals that Fabergé produced. The sculpture is made of Siberian nephrite rather than a more realistically-colored stone for a whimsical effect.  However, Fabergé, as always took great care in representing the anatomy of the animal as accurately as possible, even setting the eyes with rose-cut diamonds.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Tortoiseshell Box

Box
Gold, Silver, Tortoiseshell
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

An Eighteenth-Century creation of unknown origin, this cartouche-shaped box is crafted of tortoiseshell. The lid connect to the base by silver hinges on a gold band rim. Both cover and base are piqué with silver posé and foules point—essentially meaning that the adornment is slightly raised.

The cover depicts a scene of Venus seated with Cupid amongst a floral pattern. The base shows a hunting scene of hound and hare with a similar scrolling foliate border.

There’s no record in the inventory of the Royal Collection which states how or why this box came into Royal hands, but, if I had my guess, I’d say it had something to do with Queen Mary.

Antique Image of the Day: "Sally Bonetta Forbes," 1856

Sally Bonetta Forbes, 1856
William Bambridge
The Royal Collection

The daughter of an African Chief, this young lady was imprisoned when a neighboring city invaded her own. Her family was murdered during the invasion and she was taken captive. Due to her high rank, she was held prisoner to await sacrifice upon the death of an official or other high-ranking person who would benefit from taking her with him to the afterlife.

In June of 1850, British Captain Forbes sailed to Africa on the ship, The Sally Bonetta, in an effort to suppress slave trading. There, he chanced to meet the king who had been taken this girl captive. Wishing to rescue the girl, Captain Forbes asked for her to be given to him “as a gift,” knowing that would be the only way to free her. The king agreed and the girl was allowed to return to England. Not knowing her name, Captain Forbes called her “Sally Bonetta” after the vessel which carried them. He gave her his own last name, adopting her as one of his daughters. She lived with his family until one day when Captain Forbes presented Sally to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The Queen and Prince adored Sally and applauded her musical talents. From that point on, Sally often stayed at Windsor Castle with Queen Victoria who acted as the girl’s godmother. Victoria paid for the girl’s schooling, praised her intellect, and encouraged her music. When Sally married in 1862, she named her first born child, “Victoria.” Queen Victoria acted as godmother to Sally’s daughter as well. This photograph was taken when “Sally” was nearly thirteen years old. It was among Queen Victoria’s most cherished images.

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

Click Image to Enlarge

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: Specimens of Corals, Figured Stones, Minerals and Fossils, 1630-40

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

Attributed to Vincenzo Leonardi (fl.1621-1646), this watercolor and gold painting over black chalk from 1630-40, depicts “Specimens of corals, figured stones, minerals and fossils.”

The painting was originally owned by one Cassiano dal Pozzo; by whom bequeathed to his brother, Carlo Antonio dal Pozzo, 1657, and by descent; bought by Pope Clement XI, 1703; by whom bequeathed to his nephew, Cardinal Alessandro Albani, 1721; from whom bought by George III, 1762.

The early seventeenth century saw a rise in the study of the natural sciences. This was of great interest to Cassiano dal Pozzo who commissioned this work, probably from his frequent collaborator Vincenzo Leonardi. The painting shows twenty-five specimens. The specimens numbered in a seventeenth-century hand.

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

Mastery of Design: “County of Cornwall Bracelet,” 1893

 

County of Cornwall Bracelet, 1893
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

Carat-upon-carat of shimmering European-cut diamonds surrounds remarkably bright, clear rubies in this magnificent bracelet. Created in 1893, the bracelet was a gift to Princess Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) from the Duke of York (later King George V).

The centerpiece of the bracelet is a stunningly jeweled Cornish rose—a symbol of the ceremonial County of Cornwall. The rose is detachable and can be worn as a brooch or a pendant. A good many of the pieces of jewelry in The Royal Collection feature removable or changeable parts so that the look and use of the piece can be altered as fits the occasion.

In 1947, Queen Mary made a gift of the bracelet to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II). The Queen has been known to wear the bracelet for certain events. When not in use, it remains in The Royal Collection.

Unfolding Pictures: Queen Adelaide’s Fan, 1830

Queen Adelaide's Fan
English with French leaf, 1830
Leaf by Alphonse Giroux
Gold Guards by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell
Leather, wood, ivory, gold, rubies, amethysts.
The Royal Collection

This magnificent fan of painted sheep’s leather, gilt wooden sticks and gold guards studded with amethysts and rubies, once belonged to Queen Adelaide, consort of King William IV and aunt of Queen Victoria. Clearly in the English style, the gold-work on the guards, with ciphers of A.R., is most likely the work of Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. The leaf, however, was imported from France and is the work of Alphonse Giroux who was known for his elegant painted fan leaves. The leaf is painted in an Asian style and has applied ivory faces on the figures. Curiously, the heads have Western features, showing that they were most assuredly European in origin.


Queen Adelaide, upon the death of King William IV, was known as the Dowager Queen. Since none of her children had survived into adulthood, the throne passed to her niece, Victoria. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were extremely fond of Adelaide and made sure that she was well cared for. Upon her death, most of her personal possessions were bequeathed to Queen Victoria—including this fan. 

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