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Emerald tiara of Empress Carlota of Mexico
Posted by mauriz on December 15, 2019, 7:34 pm
A while ago I've posted about an emerald parure created for Empress Carlota of Mexico, which was discovered in the collection of Swiss billionaire Bruno Steffanini after his death in December 2018. At that time only a rather small image of the parure was available.
In the meantime I've got hold of an HQ-image, which shows the items in better detail. I'm posting a (scaled-down) full view of the tiara and three images of details (in full resolution) and hope it might give a better impression of the piece.
Information about the parure is still scarce. The parure was commissioned by Carlota's husband Maximilian around 1864 and presented to her for their coronation as emperor and empress of Mexico. The four pieces (tiara, haircomb, necklace, brooch) contain 89 emerald cabochons of roughly 400 carats. The work is described as "filigree and gilded" in the style of the Second Empire.
I was just going to shut down my computer when I saw your extraordinarily interesting post.
The imagery is superb!!
It is wonderful to know the background to this tiara (which you posted about a short while ago) I don't think any of us (certainly not me) had heard about it previously.
I wonder if the reference to "gildng" refers to the metal work of the the lower portion of the tiara? In the upper section the modern day photos seem to indicate that the metal work is gold -- and a high carat gold by the colour. I am imagining that, if the lower section was gilded, then that is why it looks "like tarnished silver" in the modern pohots.
Or could it be the other way around? And the upper section with the brighter looking gold is the "gilded" section? After all, gold plated items have a brighter look than say 18 carat gold.
But,perhaps my ideas, being guess work, are incorrect.
I wonder how the emeralds were obtained?
Wouldn't it be fabulous if the museum which now owns the tiara was able to ascertain that?
Hi Beth, the description at the homepage of the swiss "Stiftung für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte" called the whole parure gilded. Maybe the lower part is a base which could be worn separatly without the upper parts. I wouldn't be surprised the upper elements could be used as a necklace, pendants, the smaller ones a earrings? The parure contains no earrings. The base looks as if its lost the gilt by frequent use. Very frequent use.
than I had previously thought. Thank you for posting again.
The close up image shows what a beautiful and intricate piece of jewellery this is. I am ashamed to say I had dismissed it previously as being unexciting.
I found the story of a hidden treasure in a somewhat obscure collection more interesting than the jewellery. The close up images do better justice to the intricate pieces, although in my opinion the parure remains rather peculiar. I'm not particularly fond of the combination of rich gold and gemstones which was so fashionable in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, but what I find quite remarkable in this case is the use of gilded material for such a prestigious suite.
I have often seen this picture of a black or grey pearl necklace circulating around the internet and have seen it attributed to both Carlota and her sister-in-law Elisabeth.
From the Stiftung für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte site
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A while ago I've posted about an emerald parure created for Empress Carlota of Mexico, which was discovered in the collection of Swiss billionaire Bruno Steffanini after his death in December 2018. At that time only a rather small image of the parure was available.
In the meantime I've got hold of an HQ-image, which shows the items in better detail. I'm posting a (scaled-down) full view of the tiara and three images of details (in full resolution) and hope it might give a better impression of the piece.
Information about the parure is still scarce. The parure was commissioned by Carlota's husband Maximilian around 1864 and presented to her for their coronation as emperor and empress of Mexico. The four pieces (tiara, haircomb, necklace, brooch) contain 89 emerald cabochons of roughly 400 carats. The work is described as "filigree and gilded" in the style of the Second Empire.
on December 15, 2019, 7:34 pm
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