1804 December 2nd. Danish Ambassador’s Suit made for the crowning of Napoleon Bonaparte as emperor in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Christopher Wilhelm Dreyer (1737-1810), attended the pompous event as a representative of the Danish diplomatic corps. Lavishly decorated clothes probably made for occasion but not used as Napoleon wanted special clothing worn. natmus.dk/historisk-viden
1896 Sainted Prince Vladimir. Porcelain egg. Oval medallion on a golden background depicts Vladimir-wearing crown, a red mantle, and holding a cross. https://books2read.com/suziloveEasterAfter the painting by Victor Vasnetsov. Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg. Porcelain, overglaze polychrome painting and gilding/ Height: 11.4 cmOn the one side in an oval medallion on a golden background with plant ornament is a depiction of the Sainted Prince Vladimir wearing a crown and red mantle and holding a cross. The green frame is embellished with a garland of leaves. On the reverse, in another green frame with a garland of leaves on a pale blue background is an ornamented Greek cross with Christ Pantocrator in the centre. A pattern of stars and rosettes surrounds the cross.The prototype for the painting was the image of St Vladimir created by Victor Vasnetsov in St Vladimir’s Cathedral in Kiev.
1788 Armchair or bergère en cabriolet. Part of a set by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené (French, 1748–1803). Made for Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, for her Cabinet de Toilette in Palace of Saint-Cloud, France. Carved, painted and gilded walnut; modern cotton twill embroidered in silk. Made for Marie-Antoinette’s dressing room at the château de Saint Cloud. The queen’s initials are carved on the top rail.
The Palace of St. Cloud belongs to the Duke of Orleans, is situated on the declivity of a mountain washed by the Seine. . . . The view from the house is delightful. By Harry Peckham, A Tour through Holland and Part of France
Louis XVI purchased the country residence of the duc d’Orléans a few miles west of Paris for Marie-Antoinette in 1785. Being in need of renovation, the palace was enlarged and altered for the queen, and many pieces of furniture were commissioned from Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené. A member of an important dynasty of Parisian chairmakers, Sené had been appointed menuisier to the Crown in 1784.
A 1788 description of this set, four matching armchairs and a stool, shows that it was for one of Marie-Antoinette’s private rooms at Saint-Cloud, her Cabinet Particulier. Frame of the daybed embellished with carving of ivy and garlands of roses, ionic capitals on the short legs and Egyptian female half-figures on tapering supports. These figures express the queen’s taste for ornaments from ancient Egyptian art, well before Napoléon’s North African campaign made it fashionable. The bergère, or armchairs, has a medallion on top with Marie-Antoinette’s initials framed by myrtle branches and roses. The matching screen has classical female figures on its feet and top rail.
The 1789 inventory of Saint-Cloud records the entire suite in the queen’s Cabinet de Toilette, or dressing room. The set is upholstered in white cotton twill, embroidered with a small floral ornament in silk. Known to have worked on needlepoint projects all her life, Marie-Antoinette did the embroidery herself. The colorful floral embroidery on the light cotton ground conveys a sense of summer, the season Marie-Antoinette preferred to spend at Saint-Cloud. via Epigraph. Peckham 1788, p. 199.
20th Century Early Easter Egg. Side 1. The Resurrection of Christ. The Descent into
Limbo. Side 2. The Most Orthodox Prince St. Vladimir. Made By Lukutin Factory
Russia. Papier-mache and silk, painted in oil gilded and lacquered.
The production of the famous Fabergé jewelry firm that created eggs with surprises
from gold, silver and precious stones won the world recognition. Jewelry miniature eggs
were very popular gifts and objects of collecting among rich
Russians at the turn of the 20th century. They were used for making necklaces,
pendants and bracelets that were worn during the Easter Week according to the
well-established traditions.
Imperial and private fabrics and works, best artists, jewelers and craftsmen took part
in creating Easter souvenirs.
1887 Resurrection Imperial Faberge Egg. Yellow gold, rock crystal, rose-cut-diamonds, pearls, brilliant diamonds and various colored enamels. One of Faberge’s masterpieces and is essentially a jewel.
1916 Steel Military Surprise Faberge Easter Egg, Russia. Gift from Nicholas II to his wife Tzaritsa Alexandra Fyodorovna. Surprise is a miniature painting on an easel of the Tzarin planning with his generals in field. Faberge Easter Egg, Russia.
The name Faberge is associated with the Russian Imperial family for whom most of the world’s most famous eggs were created. In 1870, Faberge inherited his father’s jewelry business and quickly became known for his brilliant designs. A display of his work and the gold medal he was awarded in Moscow’s Pan-Russian Exhibition of 1882 brought him to the attention of the Russian nobility.
In 1885, Faberge was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III of Russia to create an Easter egg for his wife, the Empress Maria Fedorovna. This became known as The Hen Egg, the first Imperial Faberge Egg, and is made of gold. The Empress was so happy with the gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a ‘Goldsmith by Special Appointment to the Imperial Crown’ and the following year commissioned another egg. From then on, Faberge was given complete freedom with future Imperial designs which become even more elaborate every year. A famous Fabergé egg is one of sixty eight jeweled eggs made by Fabergé and his assistants for the Russian Tzars and private collectors between 1885 and 1917.
After the Russian Revolution, the House of Faberge was nationalized by the Bolsheviks and the Faberge family fled to Switzerland where Peter Carl Faberge died in 1920. Several of the Faberge Imperial eggs are still missing.
1900 Mosaic Faberge Surprise Egg, Russia. For Tzarina Alexandra Fyodorovna The miniature frame is painted with the profiles of the five Imperial-Russian children on an opalescent pink enamel ground. Faberge Easter Egg, Russia.
1911 Orange Tree, or, Bay Tree Faberge Imperial Easter Egg. Gift to Maria from her son. Automaton nightingale emerges and sings when the correct orange is turned. Gold, jade, diamonds, vitrines, amethysts, rubies, pearls, agates, and bird has feathers. Faberge Easter Egg, Russia.
The name Faberge is associated with the Russian Imperial family for whom most of the world’s most famous eggs were created. In 1870, Faberge inherited his father’s jewelry business and quickly became known for his brilliant designs. A display of his work and the gold medal he was awarded in Moscow’s Pan-Russian Exhibition of 1882 brought him to the attention of the Russian nobility.
19th Century Early Caroline Bonaparte Murat, Wife and Queen Consort Of Joachim, King Of Naples. Wearing a Grand Parure, or jewelry set of tiara, necklace, earrings etc, of red coral, pearls and diamonds. By Salomon-Guillaume Counis, after Nicholas-Francois Dun.
George, Prince of Wales (1762-1830), later George IV. By Mather Byles Brown (1761-1831) via Royal Collection, London, U.K.
The decision to make Prince George the Regent took a lot of political debate. After nearly two and a half months of political wrangling, the British government agreed to grant the title of Prince Regent on George. The Act of Parliament was finally passed by a commission in the House of Lords on February 5th 1811 and the Prince was formally sworn in as Regent at Carlton House the next day. He continued to rule as Regent until 1820 when, on his father’s death, he assumed the title George IV and reigned until his own death in 1830.
The British Regency was the period from 1811-1820. King George III was deemed mad and unfit to rule so his son became his proxy, the Prince Regent, or Prinny to his close friends. This was the situation when Jane Austen was alive. The Regency Era was famous for its beautiful clothing as well as the magnificent buildings erected and furnished in the ‘Regency Style’ under orders from the extravagant Prince Regent.
