Marquise de Maintenon
A striking Renaissance style necklace from Louis XIV’s Versailles. This lavish piece was created around a hand painted miniature of Marquise de Maintenon, who was secretly married to king Louis XIV of France. A coin from Louis XIV’s reign ( 1643-1715 token Jeton de Nuremberg), labradorite, a handmade lampwork glass flower, embossed leather with metallic trim, Swarovski crystals and pearls. It is truly stunning and flattering on the neckline.
Please read all info below. You will find details about materials used, size and weight and other useful information. If you have additional questions or you want to know more about my art, ask here.
This necklace features a portrait of Françoise d'Aubigné , Marquise de Maintenon, who was secretly married to king Louis XIV of France. (Read more about her below)
This lavishly decorated piece is obviosly inspired by the court fashion of Versailles. On a dark chocolate brown background , I mounted a few filigree antique brass components. More texture is brought in by the hand painted folded shibori silk patch on one side of the portrait and a multitude of floral components on the other. Above and below sit two beautiful blue flashing labradorite stones (read more about their properties below).
The historical piece is a token (a sort of period coin used for local trading) from between 1643-1715 Jeton de Nuremberg) made during the reign of Louis XIV's of France. I did a lot of research for these historical pieces and I bought from verified sellers. I used these coins with the purpose of bringing the energy of the past into these pieces and I would never use one that I would believe is not original to forfeit my original intent. HOWEVER, the coins I used in this collection are not certified and I do not claim with 100% certainty they are real. Nor do I reflect their rarity in the necklace price beyond what I originally purchased them for and the time spent sourcing them.
The portrait in this necklace is a reproduction of Unknown artist. As I mentioned in the Queens Collection description, the portraits used are the last of their kind available. They were painted by two grand artists of Fedoskino art school (lacquer miniature art school outside Moskow), Tatiana Suvorova and Marina Pahomova, both retired. Their style, so suitable for the classic feel of this collection, is not matched by any other active artist of the Russian school, as I have been told by the dealers from which I purchase these portraits for many years.
There is also a hand made lampwork glass flower (from Russia). There are lots of Swarovski crystals and pearls, Czech petal beads. The collar is constructed in embossed dark brown leather with metallic leather trimming.
About the stone: Labradorite is the most powerful protector of the mineral kingdom, creating a shielding force and strengthening natural energies from within. It protects against the negativity and misfortunes of this world and provides safe exploration into alternate levels of consciousness and facilitating visionary experiences from the past or the future. Inuit people claims Labradorite fell from the frozen fire of the Aurora Borealis, an ordinary stone that transforms to the extraordinary, shimmering in a mystical light that separates the waking world from unseen realms..(link to source)
Françoise d'Aubigné (27 November 1635 – 15 April 1719), known first as Madame Scarron and subsequently as Madame de Maintenon, was a French noblewoman who secretly married King Louis XIV. Although she was never considered queen of France, she was one of the King's closest advisers and the royal children's governess. In 1684, she founded the Maison royale de Saint-Louis, a school for girls from poorer noble families.(link to source)
Additional information
Size / Weight | The front measures 7 1/2″ (190mm) in length from top of collar and including the drop. The middle part measures a maximum 3 7/8″ (98mm) in width. The collar is genuine embossed metallic leather. It fits a neck circumference of 14 1/2" (360mm) and it's 2 1/2" (64mm) adjustable. The necklace weighs 129g. |
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Disclaimer | I did a lot of research for the historical pieces (coins or tokens) and I bought from verified sellers. I used these coins with the purpose of bringing the energy of the past into these pieces and I would never use one that I would believe is not original to forfeit my original intent. HOWEVER, the coins I used in this collection are not certified and I do not claim with 100% certainty they are real. Nor do I reflect their rarity in the necklace price beyond what I originally purchased them for and the time spent sourcing them. I do my best to provide the most accurate information, both with the images presented and the descriptions. I do not know the exact chemical composition of my supplies and I do not take responsibility for any allergies or bad reactions on skin. I will however answer honestly and to the best of my knowledge any questions or concerns you might have, so please ask before purchasing. If I write "non-toxic" or "lead-free" is because the supplier mentioned it in their description. I do not take responsibility for their information. The info about healing properties of gemstones is briefly researched and it is provided for entertainment purposes only. It is not meant to be taken as medical advice. Read more in Terms& Conditions and Disclaimer at the bottom of the page. |
Care & Maintenance | Do not let perfume or cosmetics come in direct contact with the beads and components. While I choose my material carefully and I try to provide the best quality, if not properly taken care of, all beads will change or lose colour or shine in time if exposed to chemicals. Handle the fragile components with care especially the clasp area. Be gentle! Because I use lots of fragile components made of clay or porcelain, I advise to keep the jewellery in their own boxes out of harm's way. I do consider repairs, but subject to certain conditions. See more in Terms& Conditions and Product Care at the bottom of the page. |