Canalblog
Editer l'article Suivre ce blog Administration + Créer mon blog
Publicité
Eloge de l'Art par Alain Truong
8 juin 2009

An historically important natural pearl, diamond and ruby necklace

4

An historically important natural pearl, diamond and ruby necklace

Designed as a fringe of twenty-one graduated drop-shaped grey natural pearls, each suspended from an old-cut diamond collet surmount to the diamond V-shaped ribbon along a cushion-shaped ruby collar set with twelve button-shaped grey natural pearls, mounted in gold, pearls circa 1780, necklace made in 1849, 36.2 cm long, in fitted maroon leather case. Estimate £200,000 - £250,000 ($320,400 - $400,500)

Accompanied by report no. 984035 dated 11 September 2007 from the Precious Stone Laboratory (PSL) stating that the four (central) pearls are natural, three of which are coloured pearls and that no evidence of artificial staining was detected

Provenance:

Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, later Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Navarre (1755-1793), Queen consort of King Louis XVI (1754-1793), daughter of Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
Lady Elizabeth Sutherland, Duchess of Sutherland and suo jure 19th Countess of Sutherland, later Elizabeth Leveson-Gower (1765-1839), wife of George Granville Leveson-Gower (1758-1833), Viscount Trentham, from 1786 2nd Earl Gower, succeeding his father as 2nd Marquess of Stafford in 1803, created 1st Duke of Sutherland in 1833, British ambassador to France from 1790 to 1792
Her son, George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Earl Gower (1786-1861), in 1861 2nd Duke of Sutherland
His daughter-in-law, Anne Hay-Mackenzie (1829-1888), daughter of John Hay-Mackenzie of Cromartie and Newhall and great-great-granddaughter of the last Mackenzie Earl of Cromarty, married on 20 June 1849 George Granville William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1828-1892), Marquess of Stafford from 1833 to 1861, from 1861 3rd Duke of Sutherland, to become Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland and 19th Countess of Sutherland, known as Countess of Cromartie in her own right from 1861, Mistress of the Robes and confidante of Queen Victoria from 1870 to 1874, thence by descent

Notes

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (1755-1793)

Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna on 2nd November 1755 and was sent to Versailles at the age of just fourteen to become the Dauphine and cement a political alliance between Austria and France. She married the Dauphin, Louis-Auguste, who was just a year older than her, on 16th May 1770. Marie Antoinette became Queen of France when she was only 19 upon the sudden death of Louis XV. She bore her child, a daughter, in 1778 and a son, the Dauphin in 1781, but sadly he died of tuberculosis in June 1789 on the cusp of the Revolution.

While the Royal family could have left Paris after the storming of the Bastille in July 1789 the King chose to stay in Paris. It was to prove a fatal mistake. Marie-Antoinette was taken to the guillotine on 16th October 1793 but at all times displayed dignity and courage.


Lady Elizabeth Sutherland (1765-1839) and the sachets of diamonds and pearls

Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Countess of Sutherland, accompanied her husband George Granville Leveson-Gower to France when he was appointed British Ambassador in 1790. During the two tumultuous years they spent in Paris, Elizabeth got to know the Queen and was one of the few foreign dignitaries who was of real comfort to her while incaserated. She provided Marie Antoinette with disguises in her abortive attempt to flee Paris and had sent linen for the Dauphin; reportedly the last gesture of kindness shown to the doomed Queen. Therefore it is no surprise to hear that by family tradition Marie Antoinette entrusted Lady Sutherland with one sachet of pearls and one of diamonds which she carried with her in August 1792 when London had to withdraw her French ambassador. Lady Sutherland was issued with a passport signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Le Brun, stating that she had free passage returning to England and no obstacle was to be put in her way.
The diamonds were subsequently fashioned in the Sutherland necklace and the pearls were mounted in their present form on the occasion of the marriage of George William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Lady Elizabeth's grandson to Anne Hay-Mackenzie on 20th June 1849 and thence by descent.

Christie's. Jewellery. 10 June 2009. London, King Street www.christies.com

Publicité
Commentaires
Publicité
Archives
Derniers commentaires
Eloge de l'Art par Alain Truong
Publicité