DIPLOMATIC GIFT FROM KING CHARLES X - Lot 226

DIPLOMATIC GIFT FROM KING CHARLES X Portrait of Charles X, King of France, on porcelain from the Royal Porcelain Manufactory of Sèvres, monogrammed “AP” in the lower left corner. Based on the ivory miniatures by Daniel Faint (1778–1847), by the miniature painter Aimée Perlet, who was active in Sèvres between 1825 and 1830. Original neoclassical frame, in chiseled and gilded bronze. The entire piece is presented in a custom-sized case, lined with silk, bearing the coat of arms of Charles X, King of France. Sèvres and Paris, circa 1825. ________ Miniature, medallion-shaped, or oval plaque Painted and glazed hard-paste porcelain, incised “No. 3” Marked with a cobalt-blue vignette of interlaced “C”s, dated and located “Sèvres / 1825 ” Hand-annotated by the miniaturist Visible dimensions: H. 12; W. 9.5 Overall dimensions: H. 15.5; W. 11.5 Frame dimensions: H. 18.5; W. 15.5; D. 2.2 Dimensions of the case: H. 20.5; W. 17; D. 3.2 Condition report: - porcelain: minor signs of wear - gilded bronze frame: signs of wear, dents on the reverse, grime - case: tears, gaps in the decoration, missing pieces ________ Provenance: - entered the Manufacture’s sales warehouse on October 14, 1825, as described: “1 portrait of the King painted on an oval plaque after Mr. Faint by Mlle Perlet, with a bronze frame ,” at a price of 900 F. [Arch. M.N.S. Vol. 1, f. 242] - delivered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on November 18, 1825, upon receipt of delivery from the Manufacture [Arch. Min. AE, 448QO/231, Order No. 496] - paid in cash on November 30 of the same year to “His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs” [Arch. M.N.S. Vz4, f. 203] - possibly presented to the British ambassador in Paris between 1824 and 1828, the 1st Earl of Granville, Baron Levason (1773–1846), who was received in a private audience on November 19, 1825, by King Charles X [*Moniteur*, November 20, 1825] - French private collection, then passed down through the family ________ Documentary research and notes: This is a diplomatic gift in the purest tradition of the Ancien Régime. It is documented by the accounting regulation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry’s accounts for the year 1825, preserved in its archives [448QO/231, order no. 496], record the purchase by Baron de Damas, Minister of Foreign , on November 21, 1825, of “a portrait of the King painted on porcelain and intended for diplomatic gifts” for the sum of 900 francs. Unusually, the bundle also contains the invoice from the Manufacture, which serves as a delivery receipt dated November 18, as well as a letter signed by Alexandre Brongniart. Unfortunately, the lack of internal correspondence from the Ministry for this period, as well as the removal of the name from the small label on the bronze frame, makes it impossible to be categorical about the object’s final destination. This gift can be compared to an ivory miniature that appeared on the London art market. Signed by Daniel Saint, dated 1824, and depicting Charles, Count of Artois, it was in its original gilded bronze frame with a label indicating that it was a gift to M. de Verdun (Christie’s London, June 12, 2006, Important Gold Boxes and Portrait Miniatures, lot 94, sold for £18,000). Baron de Damas Ange Hyacinthe Maxence de Damas (1785–1862) was a Legitimist officer and statesman. Forced into exile following the fall of the Ancien Régime, he pursued a career in the Russian army, Forced into exile following the fall of the Ancien Régime, he pursued a career in the Russian army, where he took part in the campaigns against Napoleon and distinguished himself notably at Borodino, in Saxony, and during the French campaign. After Waterloo, he held important military commands and took part in the 1823 Spanish expedition, which earned him the title of Pair of France. He subsequently became Minister of War, where he launched several military reforms, and then Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Villèle government. Close to Charles X, he was chosen in 1828 as governor to the Duke of Bordeaux, the future Legitimist pretender, whose education he oversaw in a deeply monarchist and conservative spirit. During the July Revolution of 1830, he accompanied the king into exile and drafted Charles X’s act of abdication. Having withdrawn from public life in 1833, he devoted himself to writing his Memoirs and to agriculture. Upon his death in 1862, he left behind the image of an admirable servant of the monarchy. A eulogy noted that he “was the living tradition of faith, honor, and devotion.” Aimée Perlet (1798 (?) – 1854) A student of Marie-Victoire Jaquotot, she was active during the Restoration and the July Monarchy and exhibited portraits on porcelain at the Salons of 1824 and 1827. The booklet states that she r