Скачать или смотреть 690JB Hygra.com Early Victorian Dressing Box, Daisy, Frances, Countess of Warwick

690JB http://hygra.com/box/690JB
Kingwood and brass fully fitted dressing box
The style of the box and the silver are also what we would expect to be commissioned by an aristocratic patroness in the first years of the Victorian era, before the elegance of the Regency gave way to the opulence of the mid 19th century.
The workmanship that created the box is of impeccable quality. The veneer is saw-cut kingwood, a costly timber rarely used for whole boxes, on account of its narrow width. The subtly beautiful figure of the wood is accented discreetly with brass lines, the thicker edge piece featuring an engraved line, which softens the austerity of the brass.
The design incorporates the quiet grace and subtlety characteristic of an age steeped in the quiet dignity of neo classicism.
A piece of paper in the box claims it was owned by Daisy Countess of Warwick who's most significant lover was the Prince of Wales later Edward VII.
The gilded silver is of thick gauge. The decoration combines pierced and chased patterns of stylised flora, executed with controlled fluidity, in the best tradition of the time, which accepted the beauty of natural forms but interpreted it through the prism of neo classicism. The gilded silver is hallmarked London 1839 and has the maker's or sponsor's mark for Charles Rawlings and William Summers This form of decoration predates the engraved or repousse decoration found in later dressing boxes.
The surviving crystal containers are superbly and elaborately cut.
When the box came into our possession, I had no idea who Daisy was. Fortunately Sushila Anand had researched the life of this remarkable person and written her biography. We owe her a big posthumous thank you.
As I began to read, I was astonished to find a woman who deserves to be not just well known, but also celebrated for her achievements. Born in an age when women were expected to be merely ornamental, Daisy became a social and political force, stronger than many a man of her time. She was a blazing social reformer and she was known as Red Daisy. In 1923 she stood against Anthony Eden, but inevitably, she lost. Daisy was far ahead of historical possibilities. Going against the natural propensities of her class, Daisy espoused socialism, supporting the cause both practically and politically. Victorian patronising charity, without addressing the root of poverty was not acceptable to her robust and fair way of thinking. She was ahead of her time but used her Victorian position of privilege and wealth to actively promote better nutrition and education for underprivileged children.
Her political astuteness and foresight was recognised by many important political figures, including Winston Churchill. Such men were on dining terms with her, would often join her in house parties and consult with her. Daisy confronted the accepted mores of her time with indomitable courage. Her support of the rights of every man and especially her sympathy for conscientious objectors made her a pariah among some of her peers.