Miniature Portrait of King Karl XI of Sweden (1655-1697) ca 1672-1675, attributed to Pierre Signac.

Oval gouache on ivory. Chest image, vase v, harnesque, white scarf, scarf with large, blue-black stone, crowned with royal crown, greyish brown allongewig, gray background. Fatted behind glass with bevelled edge in a smooth cast of silver. On the back folding plate of gilt silver, attached at the top with hinges, covered on the outside with yellow-brown, transparent enamel and the next painted decor in white enamel, in the middle a sixteen leaf flower, along the edge 27 semicircles, the hinge likewise covered with white enamel. Frame in the form of broken gold leaf mills, cover with white and black enamel, followed by the ring of 22 wood-sanded emeralds in a smooth making of gilded silver and black enamel. At the top ring and the crown attached in the form of broken gold foliage, covered with white and black enamel, of which 22 rectangular and 5 triangular, peffle-cut and on the apple a brilliant-ground emerald. The cross of the apple covered with emerald green enamel, on the back of the apple a gold jumper. On the back behind the stonemasons white enamel and the next painted flower decoration in yellow, red, green and blue enamel. Miniature Portrait Karl XI The Miniature portrait from ca. 1675-1680 depicts Karl XI (1655-1697). Karl XI was the son of Karl X and Queen Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp and became king already at the age of 4. One of the king’s most important tasks was to protect the country from internal and external enemies. His adult life lived Karl XI a lot in fields and he renewed the army. On the miniature portrait, he is a former armor. The portrait is attributed to the Frenchman Pierre Signac. He and the Englishman Alexander Cooper were the first miniature painters in Sweden. They came to Queen Kristina’s court in 1647 at the instigation of the Viennese Ambassador to Paris, Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie. The framework consists of enamelled gold and silver, as well as several taffle-cut emeralds. Taffle grinding is the earliest form of facet grinding. Further forward in time, so-called emerald grinding developed, which is a rectangular shape with faceted corners. Without sharp corners, the fragile emerald is less likely to break at impacts and blows. Despite his rather forwarding, Karl XI understood the value of a splendid jewellery with the portrait of the king. Obtaining such jewellery was a proof of grace, and was given above all to high-pitched ladies at the court. A gold jumper on the back makes it possible to wear on the clothes. The beautiful and costly jewelry may have belonged to the wife, Queen Hedvig Eleonora d.ä. by Denmark or the Mother. Exhibition “It Glitters Royal Jewelry” lefi 2015-08-11