Ganymede
According to classical mythology, Zeus was captivated by Ganymede, the most beautiful human. In the form of an eagle, the king of the gods abducted the youth. Ganymede subsequently served as Zeus's cupbearer. (This statue would originally have held a cup in its left hand.) In 1743, King Louis XV commissioned this statue for the gardens of Versailles. Although a plaster model of the figure was exhibited two years later at the Paris Salon (a state-sponsored exhibition), Francin never finished the marble. At the request of the count of Maurepas (the chief adviser to Louis XVI), Nicolas-François Dupré gave the final touches to the statue in 1777-87.
Today we will be exploring statues in the sculpture court, 18th and 19th century treasury, The collectors study and the camber of wonders at the Walters museum of art. Last October I had the pleasure of attending a wedding of good friends in my old stomping grounds of Baltimore, Maryland. During this time I got a chance to visit some of my favorite museums in Baltimore. Baltimore has world class museums with fabulous collections. Today we will get a quick tour of the 18th century European porcelain and furniture at the Walters art museum. I lived a block away's from this museum for 5 years. The museum is free to go inside. I would go all the time when I lived almost next door. We will explore this world class collection of art over the next few months.
Ganymede
According to classical mythology, Zeus was captivated by Ganymede, the most beautiful human. In the form of an eagle, the king of the gods abducted the youth. Ganymede subsequently served as Zeus's cupbearer. (This statue would originally have held a cup in its left hand.) In 1743, King Louis XV commissioned this statue for the gardens of Versailles. Although a plaster model of the figure was exhibited two years later at the Paris Salon (a state-sponsored exhibition), Francin never finished the marble. At the request of the count of Maurepas (the chief adviser to Louis XVI), Nicolas-François Dupré gave the final touches to the statue in 1777-87.
"L'Amour et L'Amitie" (Love and Friendship)
In 1754, Mme de Pompadour commissioned from Pigalle the original marble (now in the Louvre Museum, Paris). It was intended for her château in Bellevue on the outskirts of Paris and served as an allegory of her relationship with Louis XV, which had changed from that of mistress to confidant. Her features are recognizable on the figure of Friendship. After Mme de Pompadour's death, the statue was acquired by Louis Joseph de Bourbon, prince of Condé. In 1783, Marie Catherine de Brignole, the mistress of the prince of Condé, ordered this plaster version for the "Temple of Love" on her estate at Betz, in northern France. Pigalle, who was then 69 years old, consented to have his younger colleague Dejoux cast the piece. The statue and temple commemorated her love for the prince of Condé, who later became her husband.
Apollo Victorious over the Python
This statue represents the ancient sun-god Apollo's first triumph, when, at Delphi, he slew with his bow and arrows the serpent Python, which lies dead at his feet. Apollo embodied the ideals of male beauty and heroism. A work of this size was certainly intended for a prominent location, and this statue probably stood in the courtyard of the Palazzo Salviati in Florence. The sculptor's name and the date are inscribed across Apollo's chest. Born in Flanders, Francavilla moved to Florence, where be became a pupil and the principal assistant to the Medici court sculptor Giovanni da Bologna (1529-1608), also from Flanders. The elegant pose and elongated proportions of this monumental statue are characteristic of the artful, late-Renaissance style known today as Mannerism.
Apollo Victorious over the Python
This statue represents the ancient sun-god Apollo's first triumph, when, at Delphi, he slew with his bow and arrows the serpent Python, which lies dead at his feet. Apollo embodied the ideals of male beauty and heroism. A work of this size was certainly intended for a prominent location, and this statue probably stood in the courtyard of the Palazzo Salviati in Florence. The sculptor's name and the date are inscribed across Apollo's chest. Born in Flanders, Francavilla moved to Florence, where be became a pupil and the principal assistant to the Medici court sculptor Giovanni da Bologna (1529-1608), also from Flanders. The elegant pose and elongated proportions of this monumental statue are characteristic of the artful, late-Renaissance style known today as Mannerism.
Apollo Victorious over the Python
This statue represents the ancient sun-god Apollo's first triumph, when, at Delphi, he slew with his bow and arrows the serpent Python, which lies dead at his feet. Apollo embodied the ideals of male beauty and heroism. A work of this size was certainly intended for a prominent location, and this statue probably stood in the courtyard of the Palazzo Salviati in Florence. The sculptor's name and the date are inscribed across Apollo's chest. Born in Flanders, Francavilla moved to Florence, where be became a pupil and the principal assistant to the Medici court sculptor Giovanni da Bologna (1529-1608), also from Flanders. The elegant pose and elongated proportions of this monumental statue are characteristic of the artful, late-Renaissance style known today as Mannerism.
Mercury 1549-1551 (Renaissance)
Mercury, the messenger of the gods, is typically depicted as a youth with wings on his hat or feet. This monumental bronze statue, commissioned by Lorenzo Ridolfi in 1549 and completed in 1551, formerly stood at the center of the courtyard of the Palazzo Ridolfi in Florence. The inscription on the base states that the "Florentine friends Zanobi Lastricati and Ciano Compagni made the figure in order to learn." The latter was a perfume-maker employed by the duke of Florence, and, on the basis of an ancient marble sculpture of Mercury, he made a model, which Lastricati then used for casting the bronze. The inscription expresses the idea that the sculptures of antiquity represented an ideal worthy of imitation. The original pedestal was supported by bronze turtles, now in an American private collection.
A Roman Emperor 1710-1740
This figure's armor and laurel wreath identify him as a Roman emperor. Such statues were often placed in courtyards or gardens and were intended to validate the aristocrats' authority by associating them with the traditions and power of the imperial past. This emperor's twisting pose and graceful gesture, so characteristic of the baroque style, suggests that he originally guided the viewer's gaze towards another figure or a distant vista.
Mercury 1549-1551 (Renaissance)
Mercury, the messenger of the gods, is typically depicted as a youth with wings on his hat or feet. This monumental bronze statue, commissioned by Lorenzo Ridolfi in 1549 and completed in 1551, formerly stood at the center of the courtyard of the Palazzo Ridolfi in Florence. The inscription on the base states that the "Florentine friends Zanobi Lastricati and Ciano Compagni made the figure in order to learn." The latter was a perfume-maker employed by the duke of Florence, and, on the basis of an ancient marble sculpture of Mercury, he made a model, which Lastricati then used for casting the bronze. The inscription expresses the idea that the sculptures of antiquity represented an ideal worthy of imitation. The original pedestal was supported by bronze turtles, now in an American private collection.
Mercury 1549-1551 (Renaissance)
Mercury, the messenger of the gods, is typically depicted as a youth with wings on his hat or feet. This monumental bronze statue, commissioned by Lorenzo Ridolfi in 1549 and completed in 1551, formerly stood at the center of the courtyard of the Palazzo Ridolfi in Florence. The inscription on the base states that the "Florentine friends Zanobi Lastricati and Ciano Compagni made the figure in order to learn." The latter was a perfume-maker employed by the duke of Florence, and, on the basis of an ancient marble sculpture of Mercury, he made a model, which Lastricati then used for casting the bronze. The inscription expresses the idea that the sculptures of antiquity represented an ideal worthy of imitation. The original pedestal was supported by bronze turtles, now in an American private collection.
Adam and Eve 1515 (Renaissance)
The first two humans are depicted with ideal bodies that recall ancient marble sculptures. The snake has a woman's face that resembles Eve's. During this period, women were often described as untrustworthy, and this negative idea is reflected in the gender of the face of the snake. The inscription on the base indicates that this is one of the many works of art made in Florence to celebrate the triumphal entrance of Pope Leo X, a member of Florence's Medici family, into the city on November 30, 1515. The central coat of arms is the pope's. To the right is that of the Salviati family, and to the left is that of the Buondelmonti family, demonstrating their support of the pope. For several generations, the artists of the Della Robbia family in Florence were noted for the production of brightly colored, glazed terracottas, often produced for architectural settings.
Adam and Eve 1515 (Renaissance)
The first two humans are depicted with ideal bodies that recall ancient marble sculptures. The snake has a woman's face that resembles Eve's. During this period, women were often described as untrustworthy, and this negative idea is reflected in the gender of the face of the snake. The inscription on the base indicates that this is one of the many works of art made in Florence to celebrate the triumphal entrance of Pope Leo X, a member of Florence's Medici family, into the city on November 30, 1515. The central coat of arms is the pope's. To the right is that of the Salviati family, and to the left is that of the Buondelmonti family, demonstrating their support of the pope. For several generations, the artists of the Della Robbia family in Florence were noted for the production of brightly colored, glazed terracottas, often produced for architectural settings.
Adam and Eve 1515 (Renaissance)
The first two humans are depicted with ideal bodies that recall ancient marble sculptures. The snake has a woman's face that resembles Eve's. During this period, women were often described as untrustworthy, and this negative idea is reflected in the gender of the face of the snake. The inscription on the base indicates that this is one of the many works of art made in Florence to celebrate the triumphal entrance of Pope Leo X, a member of Florence's Medici family, into the city on November 30, 1515. The central coat of arms is the pope's. To the right is that of the Salviati family, and to the left is that of the Buondelmonti family, demonstrating their support of the pope. For several generations, the artists of the Della Robbia family in Florence were noted for the production of brightly colored, glazed terracottas, often produced for architectural settings.
Cabinet with Chinese and American Motifs 1690-1700 (Baroque)
This cabinet was made by a Dutch craftsman to imitate the expensive lacquered Chinese and Japanese chests imported by the Dutch East India Company. The painter adapted some motifs, such as the pagodas on the drawer fronts, from Chinese porcelains, but the figures are only Asian by virtue of their long embroidered coats with sashes. The headwear, including feather headdresses, is completely fanciful. Some figures are actually Native Americans, adapted from engravings of 1584 reporting English explorations of Virginia. On the exterior side panels are remarkable adaptations of engravings recording a French expedition of 1564 to Florida. Young "Floridians" play competitive games while beautiful birds imaginative renderings of the bird of paradise from the East Indies swoop around them. The maker surely hoped that his customers would just enjoy the exotic details.
Cabinet with Chinese and American Motifs 1690-1700 (Baroque)
This cabinet was made by a Dutch craftsman to imitate the expensive lacquered Chinese and Japanese chests imported by the Dutch East India Company. The painter adapted some motifs, such as the pagodas on the drawer fronts, from Chinese porcelains, but the figures are only Asian by virtue of their long embroidered coats with sashes. The headwear, including feather headdresses, is completely fanciful. Some figures are actually Native Americans, adapted from engravings of 1584 reporting English explorations of Virginia. On the exterior side panels are remarkable adaptations of engravings recording a French expedition of 1564 to Florida. Young "Floridians" play competitive games while beautiful birds imaginative renderings of the bird of paradise from the East Indies swoop around them. The maker surely hoped that his customers would just enjoy the exotic details.
Landscape with Tobias and the Angel 1573-1630 (Baroque)
The archangel Raphael was sent to guide the young Tobias on his travels to complete a transaction for his father, as recounted in the Catholic Old Testament Book of Tobit. One of the supernatural wonders that occurred before they returned home involved the fish that Tobias carries here. Following instructions from his companion (whose wings he cannot see), Tobias will later burn its liver in rescuing his betrothed from the devil. Once home, he will use the fish's gall to heal his father Tobit's blindness. The figures give this romantic landscape the high moral purpose associated with biblical subjects. The painting may be a collaboration of two court painters: Denis van Alsloot, a landscapist, and Hendrick de Clerck, a figure painter.
Still Life with Chinese Bowl and Vase of Flowers 1635-1638 (Baroque)
Soreau, the son of an Antwerp painter in Frankfurt, specialized in "table-top still lifes," featuring fruits, flowers, and insects depicted in ways that appeal to the senses. For example, the sheen on the grapes and color of the mulberries suggest their flavor, while the delicacy of the Chinese porcelain bowl, paired with the glass beaker with tulips, lilies of the valley, and other flowers, appeals to sight and touch. Porcelains made during the reign of the Chinese emperor Wan Li (1572-1619)-the same type bowl as on the bracket above-were appreciated as marvels of Chinese ingenuity. However, the bulbs that produced the tulips at the right were more valuable. Introduced from Turkey a few decades earlier, tulips, especially striped ones, could, in these years, cost as much a farm.
Mummy of a Young Girl 100 BC-AD 100 (Roman)
The upper part of the body is covered by a separate piece of cartnnage on which the face has been modeled and covered with gilt. (The head and torso are covered by a long wig and beads.) On the cartonnage of the mummy itself, below another series of beads, funerary scenes are painted in green, black, and red. This base was carefully wrapped with linen strips filded into bands one-half an inch wide and applied in a criss-cross pattern. Egyptian mummies were greatly sought after during the 17th century. Scholars, including the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens, were interested in ancient funeral practices; princely collectors were delighted by the association with the Egyptian pharaohs (though most mummies were of not such exalted status); while pharmacists wanted to grind up the mummified bodies to make "elixir of mummy," thought to be an effective remedy for many ills.
Virgin and Child in a Landscape ca. 1600 (Baroque)
Like Van Dyck's "Virgin and Child" (Walters 37.234), this idyll of Mary steadying the infant Jesus is centered on the naked child. Representing Christ explicitly as a boy (not sexless) underlined his miraculously dual nature, fully human and fully god. While depicting the adult Christ naked would cause scandal, a naked baby is natural. A watercolor by the German master Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was the source for the composition, but the style is from around 1600. The drawing was then owned by Emperor Rudolf II in Prague who commissioned copies from court artists. Painting on copper creates an enamel-like surface that satisfied collector's taste for refinement.
Esterhazy Marriage Collar ca. 1611 (Baroque)
This elegant, jeweled wedding collar (incomplete) was reputedly worn by the scion of a powerful Hungarian noble family allied with the Habsburgs, Palatine Miklos Esterhazy, at his wedding in 1611. The design evokes a stylized flower garland interspersed with references to love and marriage, including right hands clasped around a heart (union based on good faith and love), doves (affection), cornucopias (prosperity), and forget-me-nots (loyalty). Such a piece of ritual jewelry could be valued as a striking symbol of the fundamental importance of marital alliances to the Habsburgs. The associated ornament has two hooks on the back for fastening it to clothing.
Rock Crystal Reliquary ca. 1470-1500 (late Medieval-Renaissance)
The workmanship of this casket points to the court of the dukes of Burgundy in the late 1400s. Transparent rock crystal could protect, yet allow the viewing of, a treasured object placed at the center of the emanating rays and secured with clips in the base. The white rose is the emblem of the English royal house of York. Margaret of York (1446-1503), married Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, in 1468. She was a patron of religious institutions in the Netherlands, and the casket is surely a reliquary. Lands of the dukes of Burgundy (much of the Southern Netherlands) were inherited by the Habsburgs through marriage over a century before the time of Albert and Isabella. Isabella's various titles included duchess of Burgundy. The Habsburgs strove to associate themselves with Burgundian splendor.
Hercules Crushing Antaeus ca. 1525 (Renaissance)
In Greco-Roman mythology, the hero Hercules was raised to the ranks of the gods because of his great deeds. His feats were depicted by artists who enjoyed displaying their mastery of the heroic male nude. One of Hercules's adventures took place in Libya: King Antaeus, a vicious giant and son of Mother Earth, forced travelers to wrestle with him. As long as he touched the earth (his mother), his energy was maintained, and he was able to kill his opponents. Hercules held Antaeus off the ground and crushed him. In the Renaissance, the subject was interpreted as the triumph of virtue. A Roman marble copy (in the Pitti Palace, Florence) after a Greek bronze of the subject was known before 1500, but all that remained of Antaeus was his torso. This is one of many reconstructions imagined by sculptors. The modeling is austere, but the struggle is convincing. A more refined cast of this piece belonged to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria.
An exceptional momento mori in boxwood created by an anonymous German artist during the Renaissance.
The artist has depicted the gruesome cadaver, with tattered flesh rotting off its skeleton, in a pose that mimics that of Adam in Albrecht Dürer's famous engraving of Adam and Eve. Undoubtedly created for nobility, the pose would have been an intentional reference that the sophisticated and learned owner would instantly recognize as a reference to Original Sin and beginning of mortality for humankind with the expulsion from Eden.
The scroll bears a Latin inscription that translates into "I am what you will be. I was what you are. For every man is this so."
Mosaic of a Seated Dog
Italian (Artist) PERIOD mid 19th century MEDIUM
gold, enamel, glass tesserae (Mosaics & Cosmati)
Standing Dog V. Verdejo (Italian, active mid 19th century) (Artist) mid 19th century
Of rectangular format. (Mosaics & Cosmati)
The Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry Bracelet with Classical Warrior 1860-1869 by the Firm of Fortunato Pio Castellani (Italian, 1793-1865) (Manufacturer)
Coral Bracelet 1860-1869
These heads of Bacchus, the Roman wine god, and two female followers, known as bacchantes, are carved from highly prized red coral.
Potpourri Vase with Classical Figures
It is believed that Catherine the Great gave this gold vase to her lover, Count Grigorii Grigorevich Orlov. Together with his brothers, the count organized a coup that placed Catherine on the Russian throne in 1762. The two putti on the lid support a shield bearing the count's monogram. Oval medallions have been painted with scenes of Flora, personifying spring, and Ceres, summer. Represented on the panels beneath the handles are Milon of Croton, a famous Greek athlete of the 6th century BC, and Hercules killing the Nemean lion. The vase demonstrates the 18th-century goldsmith's mastery of the techniques of casting, chasing, and chiseling. Gold in different colors and in both matte and burnished finishes has been used.
Bust of an Actress as Diana Gaetano Merchi (Italian, 1747-1823) (?) (Sculptor) 2nd half 18th century
Merchi was noted for his portrait busts of actors on the Paris stage.
Pair of Eagles 1732 Nicolaes Verhaer (Dutch, ca. 1685-1750) (Metalworker)
These eagles, with their talons on orbs with crosses, are thought to be state symbols. They could have been applied to architecture or to furniture.
Wedgwood jasperware Abolitionist, Anti-Slavery cameo medallion with the bound slave on the front, and the words "Am I Not A Man and A Brother?" around it. From 1787 until his death in 1795, Josiah Wedgwood actively participated in the British Abolition of Slavery cause. Josiah’s most important contribution to the movement for the Abolition of Slavery, the so-called Slave Medallion, was one which brought the attention of the public to the horrors of the Slave trade. (There are varying views on the portrayal of bound slave and slogan.)
Josiah Wedgwood sent a large number of cameos to Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia who also remarked on the value of the medallion as a means of bringing awareness of the existence if slavery to the public. What is particularly amazing is that the climate of the Revolutionary War was hostile to good British/American relations. In this context the abolitionist movement was born and people came together to fight the evils of the Slave Trade.
Josiah Wedgwood sent a large number of cameos to Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia who also remarked on the value of the medallion as a means of bringing awareness of the existence if slavery to the public. What is particularly amazing is that the climate of the Revolutionary War was hostile to good British/American relations. In this context the abolitionist movement was born and people came together to fight the evils of the Slave Trade.
Model for a Royal Jewel Cabinet 1787 wood, wax and ink on paper
Dugourc entered this model in a contest held in 1787 to choose a design for Queen Marie-Antoinette's new jewel cabinet at the palace of Versailles. The jury selected another entry which was constructed the following year and is now in the Queen's bedroom in the palace. Dugourc, a multi-talented designer, received commissions from the comte de Provence (Louis XVI's brother and the future Louis XVIII) and from both Paul I and Catherine the Great of Russia as well as from Gustavus III of Sweden. The Walters piece, an extremely rare model for a royal commission, reflects the prevailing neoclassical style in the use of such motifs as caryatids (pilasters in the form of human torsos) Greek sphinxes, delicate "rinceaux" (scrollwork) and lyres. Encased in the roundels are the monograms of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Model for a Royal Jewel Cabinet 1787 wood, wax and ink on paper
Dugourc entered this model in a contest held in 1787 to choose a design for Queen Marie-Antoinette's new jewel cabinet at the palace of Versailles. The jury selected another entry which was constructed the following year and is now in the Queen's bedroom in the palace. Dugourc, a multi-talented designer, received commissions from the comte de Provence (Louis XVI's brother and the future Louis XVIII) and from both Paul I and Catherine the Great of Russia as well as from Gustavus III of Sweden. The Walters piece, an extremely rare model for a royal commission, reflects the prevailing neoclassical style in the use of such motifs as caryatids (pilasters in the form of human torsos) Greek sphinxes, delicate "rinceaux" (scrollwork) and lyres. Encased in the roundels are the monograms of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Model for a Royal Jewel Cabinet 1787 wood, wax and ink on paper
Dugourc entered this model in a contest held in 1787 to choose a design for Queen Marie-Antoinette's new jewel cabinet at the palace of Versailles. The jury selected another entry which was constructed the following year and is now in the Queen's bedroom in the palace. Dugourc, a multi-talented designer, received commissions from the comte de Provence (Louis XVI's brother and the future Louis XVIII) and from both Paul I and Catherine the Great of Russia as well as from Gustavus III of Sweden. The Walters piece, an extremely rare model for a royal commission, reflects the prevailing neoclassical style in the use of such motifs as caryatids (pilasters in the form of human torsos) Greek sphinxes, delicate "rinceaux" (scrollwork) and lyres. Encased in the roundels are the monograms of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Pair of Ornamental Vases with Garlands, Acanthus and Other Foliage 1830
These ovoid-shaped vases with domed foliate-carved covers were based on a design engraved by Jean-Claude Duplessis, the sculptor at the Sèvres Porcelain manufactory. Vases of the same shape come from the atelier of Charles-Etienne Thomas (1787-1857). These are in the Musee de Dieppe (Inv. 764-765).
Pair of 18th century Dieppe, France Candle Shades with Dionysus and Ariadne and Leda and the Swan
This pair of "ajouré," or openwork-carved screens demonstrate the extraordinary technical skills of the ivory cutter. Represented on the pair are two scenes from classical mythology, Dionysus and Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and Leda and the Swan.
Gothic-Style Bracelet ca. 1870
This extravagant bracelet consists of five arched segments and three foliate segments. Judging from indentiations in the original leather case, this piece was originally a diadem with two additional foliate elements rather than a bracelet. All the pieces are hinged together and carried out in elaborate openwork decorated with precious stones and scrollwork. The five large segments imitate Gothic architecture with ogive arches and columns.
Pair of 18th century Dieppe, France Candle Shades with Dionysus and Ariadne and Leda and the Swan
This pair of "ajouré," or openwork-carved screens demonstrate the extraordinary technical skills of the ivory cutter. Represented on the pair are two scenes from classical mythology, Dionysus and Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and Leda and the Swan.
Snuffbox 1758-1759
In western Europe during the 18th century, small boxes, ostensibly snuff containers, executed in gold and other precious materials, were among the most prized, luxury products. In this example, the master goldsmith Jean George worked in several colors of gold, the differences being achieved by using different alloys, a technique known as quatre couleur. The images on the six surfaces of the box recall the harbor scenes of the painter Joseph Vernet (1714-1789).
Snuffbox by François Joseph Marteau (French, active 1720-1759) (Metalworker)1743-1744
This sumptuously jeweled box is engraved with Rococo scroll and floral motifs.
Chatelaine and Watch watchcase: 1761
Appearing on the sections of the enameled chatelain in descending order are the Muse Urania; emblems of architecture, sculpture, drawing, and painting; and the Muse Calliope. On the watch case, the enamel shows a woman with arm extended as she paints a portrait of a man on an oval medallion. She is surrounded by amorini.
Snuffbox with Japanese Motifs Philippe Emmanuel Garbe (French, first active 1748) (Goldsmith) 1750-1751
In the making of this snuffbox, real Japanese lacquer panels, cut from imported boxes, have been used and set into a gold framework.
Watch with Benjamin Franklin
The image of Franklin reading beside a bust of Isaac Newton is based on a portrait painted in London in 1766-1767 by David Martin (English, 1737-1798). Breguet et fils was a firm founded in Paris in 1775 by Abraham Breguet, an immigrant from Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Napoleon's mother's Braille watch
She lost her sight and rubbed on the alternating pearls and diamonds
"Nécessaire" with a Watch ca. 1760 gold, agate, bronze gilt
This container holds a musical mechanism as well as supporting an earlier watch. It is attributed to James Cox, a noted London jeweler and toymaker, who produced similar works, many of which were destined for the Far East market. This particular example formerly belonged to the dowager empress of Russia, Marie Feodorovna (1847-1928). Fabergé produced a copy of this clock in silver and nephrite. The copy is in the collection of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington D.C.
"Nécessaire" with a Watch ca. 1760 gold, agate, bronze gilt
This container holds a musical mechanism as well as supporting an earlier watch. It is attributed to James Cox, a noted London jeweler and toymaker, who produced similar works, many of which were destined for the Far East market. This particular example formerly belonged to the dowager empress of Russia, Marie Feodorovna (1847-1928). Fabergé produced a copy of this clock in silver and nephrite. The copy is in the collection of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington D.C.
"Nécessaire" with a Watch ca. 1760 gold, agate, bronze gilt
This container holds a musical mechanism as well as supporting an earlier watch. It is attributed to James Cox, a noted London jeweler and toymaker, who produced similar works, many of which were destined for the Far East market. This particular example formerly belonged to the dowager empress of Russia, Marie Feodorovna (1847-1928). Fabergé produced a copy of this clock in silver and nephrite. The copy is in the collection of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington D.C.
"Nécessaire" with a Watch ca. 1760 gold, agate, bronze gilt
This container holds a musical mechanism as well as supporting an earlier watch. It is attributed to James Cox, a noted London jeweler and toymaker, who produced similar works, many of which were destined for the Far East market. This particular example formerly belonged to the dowager empress of Russia, Marie Feodorovna (1847-1928). Fabergé produced a copy of this clock in silver and nephrite. The copy is in the collection of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington D.C.
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