Set of the "Mary Stuart Quadrille"
This set, consisting of a necklace and two bracelets, was made to commemorate the famous costume ball given on 2 March 1829 at the Tuileries Palace by the Duchess of Berry. The theme of this "quadrille" was the visit Marie de Guise made to France to her daughter Mary Stuart in 1550 - 1551. All the guests had to be dressed in the fashion of the time of Henry II (1519 - 1559). The central medallion of the necklace represents the Duchess of Berry dressed as Mary Stuart, with whom she liked to identify...
Although the precise context of this commission is not known, this ornament is a precious testimony to one of the most brilliant social events of the Restoration.