Posted by Dmitry on January 8, 2012, 3:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Dowager Tsarina"
It is a complicated term and one that has been rather warped over the years. en esclavage means "enslaved", roughly, and was used to refer to jewels that had elements linked, or enslaved, to other elements in a necklace or bracelet. Similarly, if there were, for instance, several strands of a necklace such as pearls, or swags, the term was often applied. Least accurately, it was used to refer to a graduated necklace with pendant drops forming a second row.
LIke so many terms, it evolved, or devolved, and makes it difficult to grasp.
The necklace was a large diamond necklace of graduated brilliants with large pendant drops, often regarded as one of the most valuable necklaces in the world at the time and one which the Dowager Empress rather liked.
--Previous Message-- : " ...listed as an Esclavage ... " : : Dmitry, excuse my ignorance, but what is an : esclavage in terms of jewellery? I : google-serched it but with no result. : : --Previous Message-- : Interestinly, as I go through the list, the : Imperial Riviere is listed as an Esclavage, : and valued at 498,715 roubles. That would : have to be the one from the suite used by : the Imperial brides. : : --Previous Message-- : I have little context for this list, but : would : suggest that it was part of an inventory : taken after the revolution and would be : those items that were taken from the : Anichkov to Moscow. The list is certainly : post 1914, or at least updated at that time. : There is a little part of me that believes : that the inventory was done in 1909 with : later notations. : : There appear to be over 350 entries on the : whole list, of which I have only part. It : is listed as Crown Jewels in their present : state, found in the apartments of Her : Majesty the Empress Maria Feodorovna" : and reference an old book of numbers which : has been revised with a number of pieces : being returned to the treasury in 1914, but : well before the breakout of the war. : : I don't know if they were subsequently : returned to HIM, or what. : : One of those mysteries, but it is a : tantalizing record of brooches, earrings, : pins, elements, etc. : : I wish I could provide more information. : : : --Previous Message-- : Dmitry, I agree. : Wonderful wealth of information and : knowledge Thankyou so much : : --Previous Message-- : : Dmitry - that is great information. Thank : you so very much. : : Am I right in thinking these jewels : travelled with Tsarina Marie Feodorovna to : the Crimea and then to England? : : Edit: ....... and then with her to Denmark ? : : I'm just trying to be sure I keep proper : notes of this. : : : --Previous Message-- : the list I have is rather sketchy in terms : of : descriptions, but very good in terms of : weights and numbers of stones. : : I can identify that HIM held onto the triple : strand of pearls with the horseshoe diamond : clasps, the large sapphire necklace with the : 110ct centre cabuchon, one of the pair of : four-row bracelets in diamonds, diadem of : Indian Brilliants (returned to HIM's Cabinet : January 23, 1914, a diadem of pearls, and I : beleive at least one of the strands of : pearls from the Treasury. My apologies that : I cannot be more precise than that. : : --Previous Message-- : I am trying to locate the jewellery from the : Imperial collection which was in the : possession of the Dowager Empress. I cannot : remember for the life of me if this necklace : and/or tiara were at the Anichkov at the : time the inventory was made. It was not part : of the jewellery with which HIM left Russia. : I know that there were some considerable : amounts of jewellery from the Treasury in : her possession at the time of the : Revolution. Once I find that list, I will : know a little better. It is here : somewhere.... : : : : : : : : : : : :
on January 8, 2012, 3:55 pm, in reply to "