On November 6 and 7, Sotheby’s is offering an extraordinary sale in Geneva, bringing together around 250 historic pieces from Europe’s greatest princely families.
It is the story of a heroine, a powerful woman who crossed Europe to escape the Russian advance at the end of World War II. The life of this princess, Eudoxia of Bulgaria, was an extraordinary odyssey. Before the end of the war, the Russians were already in Bulgaria, he was their prisoner, he was under house arrest in his house for a year; her jewels are buried in the garden. Princess Eudoxie, knowing she has 24 hours to leave the country, manages to extract her treasure by moving it hidden in a wheelbarrow under books, which she pretends to take to Queen Giovanna. The latter, the daughter of King Umberto of Italy, is authorized to leave the country with all her jewels and possessions.
Ruby and diamond wild rose necklace and brooch. Sotheby’s
A royal adventure
Then begins a long journey lasting several years: from Bulgaria by train to Greece, by boat to Alexandria. From Egypt to Italy, he then traveled on a moving truck to Switzerland and finally to Germany. Always (almost) only luggage three leather bags loaded with jewels that tell as much history of his family as the great history of the Houses of Habsburg, Bourbon-Parma, Bourbon-de-De-Sicily and Saxe-Coburg. – Gotha.
These three bags, which have traveled across Europe, are also to be found in this extraordinary sale organized by Sotheby’s on November 6 and 7 in Geneva. Her name ? “Vienna 1900: Imperial and Royal Collection”. A magnificent spotlight on around 250 exceptional pieces, hidden in the shadows of a bank vault in Germany since 1946 (for the first ones) and rediscovered a few months ago after half a century of oblivion. A brilliant testament to two centuries of European history, this treasure is the most important collection of imperial and royal jewels ever to be auctioned.
A large sapphire, ruby and diamond necklace Sotheby’s
remains of the century
As if to the heart of the past splendor of the 19th-century Viennese court, we admire the ruby and diamond rose necklace that Emperor Franz Joseph gave to his niece and made by renowned jeweler Köchert. The same passion for the delicacy of the body front created by the Viennese jeweler Biedermann in 1865, the airy elasticity of the pearl and diamond tiara or the splendor of the cross with chrysoprase, diamonds and rubies. We also fell in love with the series of three star-shaped brooches, as in the famous portrait of Empress Sisi in the style of Franz Xaver Winterhalter., or for a necklace of five rows of pearls, the clasp of which is set with an 18th-century cushion diamond, which we think comes from the legendary mines of Golconda.…
Multiple sizes of diamonds, colors of Burmese rubies never equaled, rivers of diamonds, completely removable jewelry as a necklace, diadem or brooch… Last witnesses of the Viennese court and the history of Europe, some jewelry is exceptional, sometimes accompanied. pictures or original documents and order books. Others are simpler, but full of poetic history, strong with emotions, for example, a delicate brooch that imitates a branch decorated with willow catkins or a bracelet made of 25 pearls; a 25th wedding anniversary gift with a ruby flower clasp. tooth and 9 diamond petals representing their children. Magic.
Info: sothebys.com
Source: Le Figaro
