Presentation Locket Brooch by Auguste Viktoria with Diamonds & Pearls

Giving or receiving a gift means more than just exchanging an object. It is the establishment of a relationship, an exchange of appreciation, sometimes also a demonstration of closeness, which has mediated between people since the earliest times of mankind. A particularly impressive form of this gift culture has developed in the ruling houses of Europe. Here, gifts bearing the monogram or coat of arms of the monarch were, and in some cases still are, presented as a sign of special favor. Lapel pins, cufflinks, snuffboxes and rings are known from this context. They served the giver as an expression of recognition and the recipient as a visible sign of his closeness to the ruling house. This brooch belongs to this circle of special objects and is lavishly decorated. The central motif shows the ligated letters "AV" under the crown of the German Empress of 1871, leaving no doubt that this is a gift from the House of Hohenzollern. In conjunction with the initials, the donor can be clearly identified: it is the German Empress Auguste Viktoria (1858-1921). The brooch is set with small old-cut diamonds and natural pearls. Inside the crown is an inlay of red enamel, which represents the lining of the crown; the letter "V" is also enameled. The piece of jewellery itself is made of matt yellow gold with an additional layer of fine gold and is a locket, as a glance at the back reveals. Here there is a glazed compartment in which a small photo of the young empress has been preserved. Pieces of jewellery made as imperial gifts by the Berlin court jewellers Friedländer Brothers, Sy & Wagner or Louis Werner or Hugo Schaper came in a variety of designs, from relatively simple monograms without gemstones to richly set pieces of jewelry with diamonds and sapphires. Comparable pieces of gift jewelry from the House of Hohenzollern can be found in the exhibition catalog From the Very Highest Casket. Imperial Gifts, edited by Jörg Kirschstein, Potsdam 2008, and demonstrate the importance of this special form of courtly representation. The perfectly preserved brooch came to us from Berlin-Wilmersdorf.

Schätzpreis:€4,590

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