--Previous Message-- : Thank you Baxter for sharing the exhibit : picture. Is it one from your personal : collection?
Bryce, to answer your question, I found that pic on the web years ago. But I do wish I could have seen that exhibition in person.
We've always been a bit confused about bar brooches. They're even harder to sort out than pearl strands! And they were likely relatively easy to make, especially with so many loose diamonds in the vaults.
That 2005 exhibition seemed to make the waters even murkier. Back then exhibitions did not yet have their own microsites as they do now, but the items on display were added to the e-gallery. This included all the textiles in the Queen Mother's 'White Wardrobe' as well as the jewels shown in the photo posted earlier. They were all subsequently removed.
Here is a screengrab of the brooch's page:
Unfortunately I don't have the 'About this work of art' page which would have provided more detail. Note the question marks after the date and maker. I think perhaps Queen Mary's 14-stone brooch was mistakenly included in the exhibition instead of Queen Victoria's Garter Bar Brooch.