Devotional Crown
Applied Arts
Inventory number
2026.4.29.9.AA.OT.C1850.FR
Description
Devotional gilt brass crown with paste stones made in France during the first half of the eigteenth century in en tremblant style. Composed of a metal band of grapevine leavesand wheat ears around the base of the crown accented with grape motifs made from garnet paste stones. The center is composed of three lilies en tremblant, mounted on spring coils and accented with clear paste stones on the petals and cetntre. The central lily is flanked on either side by small daisies, one in garnet and one in green with a central clear paste stone. Ferns encircle the lilies on the top and bottom of the front of the crown. Each fern features one side set with clear paste stones and one side set with green stones. At the back of the crown, there is an adjustable strap to fix the crown to the wearer's head.
The en tremblant style which chracterizes the crown's lily motifs comes from the French verb meaning "to tremble" which refers to jewelry that has additional pieces attached with a spring allowing them to move when worn. This crown was made as a devotional item and would have adorned a religious statue of the Virgin Mary. Typically these devotional crowns were posed on statues for public processions, such as those for Easter celebrations.
In the early 1900s, the crown has a second life on the stage. It was worn by the Russian ballerina Sonia FEDOROVA (1879-1963) who was a dancer for the Bolshoi Theatre before participating in Serge Dhiaghilev's Russian Seasons in Paris (1909-1913). She continued to dance for the Bolshoi until 1917, additionally dancing for Anna Pavlova and Sergei Dhiaghilev's companies. Fedorova then moved to St. Petersburg with her husband Pyotr OLENIN (1871-1922) the famous Russian opera singer and opera director. Upon his death in 1922, she left Russia, finding success as a ballerina in Paris and Berlin. From the 1930s onwards, Fedorova spent time at differeny psychiatric hospitals and died in 1963 at the age of eighty-three. Her students include the Cuban prima ballerina and choreographer Alicia Alonso (1920-2019).
Materials
Brass
Paste stones
Origin
circa 1850
France, Paris
Dimensions
Width : 11 cm
Length : 17.5 cm
Height : 21 cm