i still find it a great pity he was not able to gather more detailed information and better photos at the time. hopefully HM King WA will be a little more cooperative in the years to come and grant someone full access to the vast collection.
--Previous Message-- : Thanks for the further explanation Lucas : Since René Brus lives just around the block : I guess it's about time I invite him over : for a cupppa : (well, when he's back home anyway and not : travelling in the Far East that is...) : : : --Previous Message-- : Yep, that was me . : I met René Brus in the late eighties, : discussing with him the possibillities of a : exhibition of copies of royal crowns, made : by him, at Pena palace near Lisbon. When : talking about how he was able to create : these exact copies, he told me that many : courts had allowed him to study the items in : detail. In Thailand for instance, the royal : crown was set on a teatable in front of him. : He was not allowed to touch it, but could : study it in detail. In the case of the : Netherlands, he copied the crown in situ. : Brus also recalled to me the, was it 30 or : 40? I don't remember now, parures, but he : said that most of the frames were empty, the : stones having been used to create new, : possibly more modern jewellery. Possibly : those empty frames were kept, in case : fashion changed again and the old settings : could be used once more. : :