Attributed to Carlo Giuliano, an important Royal enamel and pearl mourning brooch

Attributed to Carlo Giuliano, an important Royal enamel and pearl mourning brooch, 1880s, of circular outline, containing a hand-coloured photograph of Princess Alice of England (1843-1878) behind a glazed panel, within a black and white enamel border of floral design and an outer border of pearls, mounted in gold, diameter 3.7cm, reverse inscribed 'In remembrance of dear Alice Princess of] England, Duchess of Hesse and monogrammed VRI for 'Victoria Regina Imperatrix, later replaced brooch fitting partially obscuring inscription

Provenance

Estate of the late Victor Albert Francis Spencer, 3rd Viscount Churchill (1864-1934)

Alice was the third child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the mother of the future Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

Princess Alice was the first of Queen Victoria's children to die, and one of three to predecease her, meaning that her death was met with a particularly intense period of grief and mourning. Victor Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill, was page of honour to Queen Victoria between 1876-1881 during this time, coinciding with this mourning period.

While Carlo Giuliano never received a royal warrant despite his widespread popularity, he is thought to have created the mourning jewel commissioned by Queen Victoria upon the death of her son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1900, (see G.Munn, Castellani & Giuliano, London 1984, pg. 75 pl 69). He was patronised by several of the royal children including Empress Victoria of Prussia, and the later King Edward VII, who also entrusted Giuliano with the cleaning and restringing of Queen Alexandra's collection of pearls. While unsigned, strong artistic and technical similarities to Giuliano jewels strengthen the attribution to this highly personal mourning jewel, dedicated to one of Queen Victoria's most beloved children.