Tuesday's Titillating Treasure: Marie Antoinette's Favorite Things



Photograph by Francis Hammond

Jewelry Cabinet
This jewelry armoire was designed for Marie Antoinette by the cabinet maker Jean-Ferdinand Schwerdfeger and decorated with bronze work by Pierre-Philippe Thomire.  It was delivered to the Palace of Versailles in 1787 -  just two years before the beginning of the French Revolution. 

When I first saw this splendid armoire, I imagined the priceless baubles and sparkly pieces it must have once contained.  However, I have since been informed that Marie Antoinette's priceless jewels were not kept inside this cabinet, that it was, rather, for show.

Photograph by Francis Hammond

Lacquered Box
Did you know that Marie Antoinette was a collector (some might even say a Royal Hoarder)?  One of the things she enjoyed collecting was Japanese lacquerware. 

Collecting Japanese lacquerware was a popular past time among eighteenth century French aristocrats and those with a surplus of sous.  Technically, many of the items came from China, but the term Japanese Lacquerware was used to describe painted and heavily lacquered pieces from Asia or pieces with Asian influence.

The box pictured above is in the shape of a reclining puppy.  Did the queen look at the box and fondly remember the beloved pup she had to leave behind in Austria when she became Dauphine of France? 

(Side note:  I've often spoken of the strange connections Marie Antoinette and I both share - from birth date, number of pregnancies, physical ailments, to hair and eye color.  Now I discover that we both enjoyed collecting boxes.  When I was younger, I had a huge box collection, including one from China and two from Japan.)

Viennese Guéridon

A guéridon was a small, round table used for holding a candlestick or vase.  Sometimes, it was also used in a dining room to hold side dishes.  

There were hundreds of these tables in the Palace of Versailles by Marie Antoinette's reign, including the one pictured on the left.  This table was given to Marie Antoinette by her sister, Maria Christina, and featured a unique top with petrified wood marquetry.

Photographer Francis Hammond's exquisite photography of one of France’s most significant historical landmarks can be viewed and appreciated in his book, Versailles: A Private Invitation.