Vienna 1900: An Imperial and Royal Collection
Vienna 1900: An Imperial and Royal Collection
From the Collection of Princess Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, Tsarina of Bulgaria (1860-1917)
Spinel and diamond pendent necklace, circa 1910
Auction Closed
November 7, 12:14 PM GMT
Estimate
7,000 - 11,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
From the Collection of Princess Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, Tsarina of Bulgaria (1860-1917)
Spinel and diamond pendent necklace, circa 1910
Of lavalière design, each pendant collet-set with a pear-shaped spinel within a frame of circular-cut diamonds surmounted by a bow, supported from a bow-shaped motif set with circular-cut diamonds, on a cable-link chain enhanced at the front with single-cut diamonds, length approximately 460mm.
Accompanied by SSEF report no. 131266, stating that the spinels are of Tajikistan and Tanzanian origin respectively, with no indications of treatment.
Princess Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz, Tsarina of Bulgaria
In 1908, Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria decided to marry again after the death of his first wife, Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, to provide a mother figure for his four children as well as for his nation. His choice fell on the German Princess Eleonore of Reuss-Köstritz (1860-1917).
Eleonore was fourty-seven years old at the time of their marriage and had never been married before. Instead, she had dedicated her whole adult life to charity and nursing. For years, she lived with her brother Prince Heinrich XXIV of Reuss-Köstritz (1855-1910), who was a gifted composer. They resided at Schloss Ernstbrunn in Austria, about forty kilometers north of Vienna, where she was involved in many children’s hospitals. Eleonore distinguished herself volunteering in military nursing divisions in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. During her humanitarian stay in Russia, she renewed her close acquaintance with her cousin Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, also known as Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess Vladimir, the Russian Tsar’s formidable aunt who was the Third Lady of the Empire. The latter helped to orchestrate the match to Ferdinand I and attended their wedding as guest of honour.
Eleonore’s charitable credentials made her a natural patroness of the Bulgarian Red Cross. She was equally involved in furthering the level of education in Bulgaria. Her tireless efforts during the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, immediately followed by the dire years of World War I, took a heavy toll on her fragile health. Tsarina Eleonore passed away in 1917.