Antique Coral Necklace in Three Strands, Probably Italy c. 1900

In August of each year, the Baroness von Üchtlitz at Schlochtin celebrated her birthday with a summer party. Next to the castle, on the large meadow, there was a linden grove, and "there the tea was to be taken. The meadow and the copse were full of people, full of colourful dresses, colourful ribbons, colourful hats, and in the green of the copse, in the gold of the afternoon sun, all the colours took on a gemlike luster." The two young princesses of Neustatt-Birkenstein drove up in the Landau. They wore blue summer dresses, coral strands around their necks. In his last great novel, the "Princesses" from 1917, Eduard von Keyserling once again resurrected all the splendour of the nobility in the old empire – but with every ray of sunlight, the end of the familiar order already shines through. Here, at the Baroness's summer party, it was quite natural to wear coral necklaces. For these jewels of the sea were a distinct summer adornment at the turn of the century. The necklace in three strands presented here is exactly the kind of jewellery the princesses of Neustatt-Birkenstein could have worn. It was made in Italy around 1900 and presents its pastel salmon coloured, high quality corals in graduated strands. An original clasp made of gold-plated tombac holds the necklace securely. We had the necklace restrung to ensure carefree wear. Cf. Eduard von Keyserling: Fürstinnen. Novel. Afterword by Jens Malte Fischer, Zurich: Manesse 2017, pp. 62-63.

Estimate:$1,560.91

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