Das Dagmar Perlen Halsband ist aus Gold und Silber und ein wahrhaft
königliche Demonstration für Perlen als Kostbare Schätze
der Weltmeere.
1863 wurde es vom Hofjuwelier Julius Didriksen aus 118 Perlen und 2000
Diamanten angefertigt. Das Kreuz ist emailliert mit Schmuckemail ist
es ganz im neobyzantischen Stil gestaltet, sehr angesagt auf dem Höhepunkt
des Historismus.
Es war das Hochzeits-Geschenk des Königs Friedrich VII von Dänemark,
an die dänische Prinzessin Alexandra anlässlich ihrer Heirat
mit dem Prinzen von Wales.
König Friedrich VII. war der Cousin ihrer Mutter, nach dessen
Tod wurden die Eltern König und Königin von Dänemark.
Das Orginal Email Kreuz wurde im Sarkophag der mittelalterlichen Königin
Dagmar gefunden und befindet sich nun im National Museum in Kopenhagen.
Der antiken begeisterte König hat als zentrales Motiv eine Replik
eines Byzantinischen Kreuzes aus dem 12.Jahrhundert ausgewählt,
nachdem das Halsband dann auch benannt wurde.
Die grossen Tropfenperlen waren wohl auf der Weltausstellung 1851 ausgestellt
und deshalb von guter Qualität. Die Prinzessin liess kurz nach
ihrer Hochzeit das Dagmar-Halsband von dem Juwelier Garrard so überarbeiten,
das sie es convertibel und das Mittelteile auch als zwei Broschen getragen
werden konnte.
Königin Elizabeth
II von England besuchte 1957 Dänemark anlässlich eines
Staatsbesuchs, am Gala-Abend in der Königlichen Oper in Kopenhagen
trug sie das Collier ihrer Urgrossmutter.
Heute verwendet man oft kleine Dagmarkreuze as Taufgeschenke für
Mädchen, in Dänemark, die Kreuze sind dann aus Gold gefertigt.
The necklace and facsimile of the Cross of Dagmar was presented by
King Frederick VII of Denmark to Princess Alexandra upon her marriage
to the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) in 1863.
It is set with 118 pearls and 2,000 diamonds. “Festoons connecting
gold medallions, with a large diamond in the middle of each, surround
a centerpiece of diamond-set scrollwork. The two large pear-shaped pendant
pearls were so valuable they had been exhibited at the Great Exhibition
at the Crystal Palace in 1851.Hanging on a gold loop from the centerpiece
is a cloisonné enamel facsimile of the eleventh-century gold
Dagmar Cross, in which was set a fragment reputed to belong to the True
Cross and a piece of silk taken from the grave of King Canute. . . .
It became a tradition that Danish princesses were given a copy of the
cross when they married. The central figure is the head of Christ, with
St Basil, St John Chrysostom, St Mary and St John on the four arms.”
The eleventh-century Dagmar Cross is now in the Museum of Northern
Antiquities in Copenhagen.
The necklace was made in 1863 when the highest fashion was historicism.
Made by the Danish court jeweller at the time, Julius Didrichsen, it
is made in a neo-Byzantine style. The style matches the replica of the
Dagmar cross which was a Byzantine cross found in the sarocophagus of
the mediaeval Danish Queen Dagmar the wife of King Waldemar the Victorious.
Therefore the name has nothing to do with Princess Alexandra's sister
Princess Dagmar (later Empress Maria Feodorovna).
It was the wedding gift to Princess Alexandra from the Danish King,
her mother's cousin, King Frederik VII. It may well be the most splendid
Danish wedding present ever given to a Danish princess and reportedly
cost £7,000 at the time of its manufacture. King Frederik had
a deep personal interest in antiquarian studies and the idea that the
wedding gift should include the “very Danish” historic cross
was his.
Shortly after her wedding, the Princess took the necklace to Garrards
to have the centre clusters made convertible into brooches, which involved
some resetting. As Princess of Wales, she wore the multi-coloured enamelled
cross on a string of pearls.
Above she is pictured at her coronation in 1902 wearing the Danish
necklace on her bodice under the swags of pearls. She is also wearing
Queen Victoria’s diamond stomacher which divides into three sections.
Queen Mary wore it at her Coronation in 1911 as an arc; Queen Elizabeth
the Queen Mother wore only the center at her coronation in 1937.
When Queen Elizabeth
II and the Duke of Edinburgh paid a state visit to Denmark 1957
the Queen was wearing the necklace at the gala performance in The Royal
Theatre, without the cross and the pear-shaped pearls.
Sources: Field, Leslie. The Queen’s Jewels.; Bury,
Shirley. Jewellery: The International Era 1789-1910, Volume II 1862-1910.;
The Illustrated London News, March 1863.
Again many thanks to Laura for help!
more jewels :
Queen´s
Treasure
English Royal Jewels
Queen Mary Jewels
