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SUMMARY:rare-and-historically-important-natural-pearl-and-diamond-jewel-and
 -a-brooch - Date de vente : 12/11/2025
DESCRIPTION:Nom du lots : Rare and Historically Important Natural Pearl and
  Diamond Jewel and a Brooch 珍罕且重要歷史性 天然珍珠 配 鑽
 石 珠寶 及 胸針\n\nComprising: a transformable jewel designed as a g
 raduated garland of vines set throughout with old mine-cut diamonds\, acce
 nted by rose-cut diamonds\, suspending a series of drop-shaped and slightl
 y baroque drop-shaped natural pearls measuring from approximately 12.39 
 – 12.57 x 18.03mm to approximately 5.95 – 6.65 x 7.65mm\, length appr
 oximately 370mm\, each element detachable\, various fittings including lin
 ks connecting the detachable elements\, two brooch fittings\, six hairpin
  fittings and two tiara fittings\, one pearl pendant deficient\, nine smal
 l diamonds deficient\; circa 1840 with later alterations for different use
 s\;\n\nand a brooch of ribbon design set with old mine-cut diamonds\, feat
 uring a button-shaped natural pearl measuring 15.26 – 15.31 x 10.51mm\, 
 suspending three drop-shaped natural pearls measuring approximately 10.40 
 – 10.50 x 16.30mm\, 10.55 – 10.60 x 21.40mm and 10.25 – 10.50 x 18.7
 0mm respectively\, capped by rose-cut diamonds\; circa 1860. Accompanied b
 y a fitted case stamped E. Flaschel\, Roma.\n\nAccompanied by SSEF reports
  no. 114760\, no. 144761 and no. 144759\, dated 4 March 2025\, stating tha
 t the pearls were found to be natural\, saltwater\; report no. 144759 pert
 aining to the brooch together with an appendix letter\; further accompanie
 d by a gemmological report.\n\nAccording to family tradition the pearls be
 longed to Kunigunde of Saxony\, Marchesa di Montoro (1774-1820)\n\nThence 
 by descent\n\nIn 1951\, the jewel was worn by the wife of a descendant of 
 Kunigunde of Saxony\, herself born a Princess Odescalchi\, at a ball held 
 in honour of Princess Elizabeth\, who would become Queen Elizabeth II the 
 following year. In 1980\, during another state visit of Elizabeth II the j
 ewel was worn again. On both occasions the Queen expressed words of admira
 tion for the jewel.\n\nHenri Vever\, La Bijouterie Française au XIXe Siè
 cle – Tome I Consulat\, Empire\, Restauration\, Louis-Philippe 1800-1850
 \, Paris\, 1906\, pp. 193\, 213\, 217 and 218 for illustrations of this ty
 pe of hair ornament dated between 1845 and 1850.\n\nIrmgard von Hauser Kö
 chert\, Köchert - Imperial Jewellers in Vienna\, Firenze\, 1990\, pp. 14
 2\, 143 and 154\, for design drawings for hair ornaments of this type.\n\n
 Henri Loyrette (ed.)\, Chaumet - Joaillier Parisien Depuis 1780\, Paris\, 
 2017\, p. 226-227 for a pair of hair ornaments ‘ à la Macini’ attribu
 ted to Fossin circa 1840\, featuring highly similar vines\; p. 148 for des
 igns for jewels set with similar vine motifs circa 1850.\n\nVincent Meylan
 \, Mellerio dits Meller - Joaillier des Reines\, Paris\, 2013\, p. 284 pl
 ate VII for the design of a hair ornament of this type dated circa 1840.\n
 \nThis rare and historically important jewel was created around 1840 as a 
 face-framing hair ornament adapted to the fashionable hairstyles of the ro
 mantic period. It stands as perhaps the last known surviving example of th
 is extravagant\, but short-lived style of bejewelled hair ornament. Thanks
  to later alterations and the use of fittings\, it is transformable for we
 ar as a necklace\, a devant-de-corsage and as a set of hairpins. Accordin
 g to family tradition\, the important collection of natural pearls suspend
 ed from the jewel and its accompanying brooch belonged to Kunigunde of Sax
 ony\, Marchesa di Montoro (1774-1820). Because of their shared history\, t
 he natural pearl and diamond jewel and brooch are purposefully presented a
 s one historical ensemble\, the way they have been preserved together for 
 almost two centuries.\n\nKunigunde of Saxony\n\nKunigunde of Saxony (1774-
 1820) was the daughter of Prince Franz Xaver of Saxony (1730-1806). He in 
 turn was the second son of Elector Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (1896-1
 763)\, who simultaneously held the elective Polish crown as King Augustus 
 III\, and Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria (1699-1757).\n\nFranz Xaver
 ’s grandfather Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) had greatly expanded the 
 influence of the ancient Saxon Wettin dynasty by becoming King of Poland. 
 He was well aware that representation was crucial at the baroque courts of
  the early 18th century and thus set out to make his court at Dresden one 
 of the most magnificent in Europe\, on a par with Versailles. Augustus the
  Strong and his son Frederick Augustus II assembled one of the most signif
 icant art collections of their day\, including Raphael’s Sistine Madonn
 a\, Vermeer’s The Procuress and Jean-Étienne Liotard’s The Chocola
 te Girl. Today\, Dresden’s Grünes Gewölbe museum\, the former Royal Sc
 hatzkammer\, still houses the Electors’ superlative collection of jewels
 \, including the epaulette set with the world-famous Dresden Green Diamond
 .\n\nPrince Franz Xaver grew up surrounded by the grandeur and culture of 
 the Dresden court at its height. The prestige enjoyed by the Wettins at th
 is point in time\, brought them to the forefront of European Royal dynasti
 c relations. Franz Xaver’s sisters Marie Josèphe (1731-1767)\, Maria Am
 alia (1724-1760) and Maria Anna (1728-1797) were married to the French Dau
 phin\, the King of Naples and the Elector of Bavaria respectively\, while 
 his brother Albert Casimir\, Duke of Teschen (1738-1822) was the husband o
 f Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria\, the favourite daughter of Empre
 ss Maria Theresa. This Golden Age for Saxony came to a crashing halt with 
 the Seven Years War (1756-1763) that saw Prussia invade and occupy their n
 eighbour\, which subsequently never regained its place amongst Europe’s 
 major players.\n\nIn 1763\, Franz Xaver’s brother Frederick Christian pa
 ssed away after a reign of only 73 days. Therefore\, Franz Xaver fulfilled
  the role of regent during the minority of his nephew Elector Frederick Au
 gustus III (1750-1827). In 1765\, he secretely married the Italian Countes
 s Maria Chiara Spinucci (1741–1792)\, a lady-in-waiting to his sister-in
 -law\, the Electress. As she was not of Royal birth\, the marriage was con
 sidered morganatic\, meaning that the couple’s offspring was considered 
 legitimate\, but forfeited its place in the line of succession.\n\nFollowi
 ng the conclusion of his regency in 1768\, Franz Xaver moved his family to
  France where he lived discretely under the title Graf von der Lausitz. Hi
 s daughter Kunigunde was born at Chaumot in France in 1774\, during the re
 ign of his ill-fated nephew King Louis XVI\, the son of his sister the Dau
 phine Marie Josèphe. When the French Revolution broke out\, the family re
 located to Rome. There Kunigunde married the Marchese Montoro in 1795. She
  passed way in the eternal city in 1828. Her descendants created this magn
 ificent jewel around 1840 using pearls that originally belonged to her. Th
 e brooch likewise was made incorporating pearls of the same provenance\, t
 hough its ribbon design is more reminiscent of the styles of the 1860s tha
 t took inspiration from 18th century examples. The brooch stands out in pa
 rticular for the quality of its central button-shaped pearl.\n\nA Rare and
  Historically Important Jewel\n\nThis rare and historically important jewe
 l is perhaps the last known surviving example of an elaborate type of hair
  ornament that saw a very brief flowering of popularity during the 1840s. 
 The hairstyles of the late 1830s to the 1850s consisted of swoops of hair 
 covering each ear\, combined with a middle part and smooth crown\, tied in
 to an elaborate bun at the back. For formal events\, floral decorations\, 
 either natural or silk flowers\, were used as decoration. This period was 
 the height of the romantic movement which fostered a deep-rooted fascinati
 on for nature\, folkloric myths and the supernatural. In jewellery these t
 hemes were translated into highly articulated floral and foliate sprays th
 at gave women the air of sylphs when gliding through a candle- or gas-lit 
 ballroom.\n\nThe high point of this style was found in elaborate floral an
 d foliate hair ornaments or coiffures\, intended to be worn across the c
 rown of the head and draping over the ears. They were supreme showcases fo
 r the jeweller’s virtuosity and created a mesmerizingly ethereal\, yet d
 ramatic effect when worn. Vever’s perennial standard work La Bijouterie
  Française du XIX siècle features several illustrations of variations o
 n this type of jewel. The archives of Chaumet contain drawings of such hai
 r ornament featuring highly similar vines. Furthermore\, there exists a pa
 ir of hair ornaments attributed to Fossin et Fils\, the precursor to Chaum
 et\, incorporating highly similar vines. These ornaments carry the style n
 ame ’à la Mancini’ as a poetic reference to Maria Mancini (1639-1715)
 \, King Louis XIV’s first love who married the Roman Prince Mancini. The
  archives of the former Viennese court jeweller Köchert and of Mellerio d
 its Meller also contain a number of sketches for intricate examples of the
  style\, which did not survive long past 1850.\n\nSuch extravagant jewels 
 were usually remounted when they went out of fashion. This example\, howev
 er\, survived because it was rendered transformable with ingenious alterat
 ions and the use of numerous fittings. Together with its accompanying bro
 och\, the jewel is a truly rare and magnificent artifact that recalls the 
 beauty and splendour of a bygone era.\n\nAn Appreciation By Vincent Meylan
 \n\nThe first owner of the pearls set on that fabulous piece of jewellery 
 was H.R.H Prince Xavier of Saxony and Poland (1730-1806) comte de Lusace a
 s was his official French title. They are mentioned in the wedding contrac
 t of his fifth daughter\, Cunégonde of Saxony (1774-1828)\, comtesse de L
 usace who married in Rome\, on the 7th of January 1796\, Giovanni Patrizzi
  Nero (1775-1818) 4th marquess of Montoro. At the time\, these pearls were
  mounted on a tiara which Cunégonde wore on her wedding day. All of Rome\
 , even Pope Pio VI had been involved in the preparations of that marriage.
  To mark its importance\, Cardinal Romualdo Braschi\, who had the title of
  ‘Cardinale Nipote’ as he was the nephew of his holiness\, had hosted 
 an official lunch at Palazzo della Consulta which stands right in front of
  the Palazzo del Quirinale. Not only was the bride pretty\, but she was al
 so extraordinarily well connected. Her father’s sister\, Princess Marie-
 Josèphe\, would be the mother of three Kings of France: Louis XVI\, Louis
  XVIII and Charles X. Another sister\, Princess Marie-Amélie was the moth
 er of king Charles IV of Spain and King Ferdinand IV of Naples. A third si
 ster\, Princess Marie-Anne\, had married the elector of Bavaria. Half of t
 he kings of Europe were Cunégonde’s first cousins.\n\nShe herself was b
 orn in château de Chaumot in France on the 18th of March 1774. A few year
 s before\, her father\, Prince Xavier of Saxony had decided to establish h
 imself in France a country he knew well\, having served in the French armi
 es between 1758 and 1763. Until 1768\, he had been Prince-Regent of Saxony
  in the name of his nephew\, Elector Friedrich-August. His regency was ver
 y successful\, but he made the mistake of falling in love with a beautiful
  young woman who was not a princess but a simple lady in waiting at the Sa
 xon court. Her name was Chiara Spinucci (1741-1792). They married almost s
 ecretly in 1765. And of course the Saxon court did not approve. Prince Xav
 ier and his wife had to leave Dresden. They came to France. Prince Xavier 
 was granted a large pension of 150 000 livres by his nephew King Louis XVI
  and the title of comte and comtesse de Lusace for his wife and children. 
 He bought the castle of Chaumot where Cunégonde was born and baptized and
  then the much larger castle of Pont sur Seine. In 1791\, when the worst p
 art of the French Revolution began\, the whole family had to leave France.
  One year later\, Chiara Spinucci died in Fermo\, in Italy\, the very city
  where she had been born. Prince Xavier\, his son\, Joseph\, and four of h
 is daughters went to Rome where Pope Pio VI welcomed them. All four daught
 ers married in the very best families of the Roman aristocracy. After the 
 last wedding in March 1796\, Prince Xavier went back to Saxony. He died in
  his Palace of Zabeltitz\, ten years later.\n\nThree sons were born from t
 he union of Cunegonde and the 4th Marquess of Montoro. Two of them\, Franc
 isco and Costantino joined the catholic church. Costantino even became a c
 ardinal. The third son Filippo (1801-1858) became the fifth Marquess of Mo
 ntoro and the pearls were inherited by him. At one point\, the original ti
 ara was transformed into this extraordinary piece of jewellery. But where 
 and when? The style of the piece strongly suggests Paris around 1840. In F
 rance\, the Monarchie de Juillet (between 1830 and 1848) was a time of gre
 at frivolity\, fashion and romanticism. After the very stiff years of the 
 first Empire of Napoléon and the Restauration of the Bourbon dynasty\, th
 e arrival to power of the Orléans branch of the Bourbon Family with King 
 Louis Philippe was the beginning of a much more relaxed era. Newcomers wer
 e arriving on the art and cultural scene. In ballet\, with ‘La Sylphide
 ’ and Maria Taglioni dancing on pointe for the first time. Meyerbeer\, R
 ossini\, Berlioz\, Donizetti and many others were creating some of their b
 est operas. Victor Hugo was writing ‘Notre Dame de Paris’. Painters li
 ke Winterhalter and Ingres were beginning their careers. Very often the Mi
 ddle Ages or the Renaissance\, viewed as romantic times\, were the inspira
 tions of those artists. Fashion had to adapt. At court\, the lady’s dres
 ses and jewellery became much less formal. Big tiaras and the parure to ma
 tch\, lace veils and ostrich feathers were no longer required. In 1842\, a
 n official inventory of the jewels of the duchesse d’Orléans\, widow to
  the heir of the throne\, was made. The word tiara is not mentioned once. 
 The Duchess had many sumptuous hair jewels\, set with diamonds\, rubies or
  pearls\, and they are called ‘Ferronnières’ or ‘Sévignés’. Th
 e ‘Ferronnières’ was a gold link with a precious motive in the centre
  which was worn on the forehead. The name derives from a famous portrait b
 y Leonard de Vinci\, now in the Louvre. ‘Sévignés’ were long garland
 s of precious stones worn on the top of the head from one ear to the other
 . The inspiration is less obvious but it is of course related to the famou
 s marquise de Sévigné. Both ends of the ‘Sévignés’ were sometimes 
 called ‘Mancinis’ possibly in reference to a hair style favored by Mar
 ie Mancini\, Louis XIV’s first love.\n\nBapst was still the official jew
 eller of the crown. He created most of the jewels ordered by King Louis-Ph
 ilippe and Queen Marie-Amélie for the weddings of their numerous sons and
  daughters. Mellerio\, the oldest French jeweller since 1613\, and Fossin 
 who had taken over Nitot’s business after he retired in 1815\, were much
  less formal in their creations. In 1840\, Jean Mellerio (1815-1886) was i
 n charge of the family firm. Many drawings of ‘ornements de tête’ sho
 wing an architecture similar to this piece\, can be found in the Mellerio 
 archives in Paris. Flexibility was the key for that kind of Jewels. They c
 ould be worn as separate brooches\, a necklace or a garland. Fossin of cou
 rse\, the ancestor of maison Chaumet\, was also a great designer of Sévig
 nés and Mancinis. He is even mentioned as such in one the books of a famo
 us French writers of that time. In ‘Les Employés’ Honoré de Balzac w
 rites: ‘Her hair was adorned with bunches of jet grapes of the finest wo
 rkmanship\, a thousand ecus set ordered from Fossin by an Englishwoman who
  left without taking it. The leaves were made of stamped iron blades\, as 
 light as real vine leaves\, and the artist had not forgotten those gracefu
 l tendrils\, designed to twist into the curls\, as they cling to any branc
 h.’  The design described by Balzac is very close to the one we have he
 re. The only difference being that the Balzac parure was made in iron and 
 this one is made of pearls and diamonds. Another element strongly suggests
  Fossin. It is a pair of diamond Mancini which now belong to the Chaumet h
 istorical collection. They have been exhibited many times and are presente
 d on the website of Chaumet as a ‘Pair of Mancini ornaments attributed t
 o Fossin et fils\, circa 1840’. The style\, the shape of the diamond lea
 ves\, the quality of workmanship are very similar.\n\nIn any case\, this p
 earl and diamond garland is a museum piece. Those jewels were created by F
 ossin\, Mellerio and Bapst and possibly others during a very short period 
 of time around 1840. In 1851\, the Empire was back in France with Napoléo
 n III and another formal era began. It is very rare that such jewels have 
 survived intact for nearly 200 years.
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