Lovely and rare bridesmaid brooch of the empresses Elisabeth... Lot 25

Lovely and rare bridesmaid brooch of the empresses Elisabeth Alexeyevna (1779-1826) and Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828) of Russia. Silver brooch lined with gold (750 ‰) set with old-cut diamonds, formed with the initials "EM" under imperial crown for Elisabeth Alexeyevna, wife of Tsar Alexander I, and for Maria Feodorovna, the Dowager Empress and mother of Alexander I, wife of Tsar Paul I. With part of a celestial blue ribbon. Good condition. St. Petersburg, reign of Alexander I (1801-1825). No apparent hallmark. Height: 7.9 - Width: 4.4 cm - Gross weight: 23.3 g Related works: - An identical brooch in gold and diamonds, without ribbon, is kept at Kremlin Museum in Moscow. - An identical brooch but in silver and Rhinestones, with its ribbon, was sold at Christie's New-York, April 9, 2014, lot No. 26 (sold for $32,500). History: Being a bridesmaid in the days of Tsarist Russia was considered very prestigious. From the reign of Empress Catherine II onwards, the ladies-in-waiting of Russian empresses wore so-called "bridesmaid's figures" bearing the monogram of the person they served. These precious brooches were adorned with diamonds and attached to a blue ribbon bow in the colour of the Order of St. Andrew, which the ladies wore on the left side of the bodice. The reverse side was either openwork, as here, or solid. When a new empress ascended the throne or when a dowager empress died, the monogram was changed. In addition to the title of maid of honour and the brooch with the cipher, they also received other important privileges such as a pension for life. Few diamond ciphers have come down to us, it is extremely rare to find them in public collections and even rarer on the art market, especially from the beginning of the 19th century such as ours. Literature: U. Tillander-Goldenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System, 1894- 1917, Helsinki, 2005, pp. 44-45.