Ancestral Jewels: Treasures Of Britain's Aristocracy
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
Few objects speak as eloquently of power, lineage, and legacy as the jewels that have adorned Britain's most illustrious families for centuries, and Ancestral Jewels: Treasures of Britain's Aristocracy by Diana Scarisbrick presents a breathtaking survey of these storied heirlooms. The book chronicles the magnificent gemstones, tiaras, necklaces, and ornaments that passed through the hands of dukes, earls, and countesses, situating each piece within the grand sweep of British aristocratic history and illuminating the intimate personal stories behind their creation and inheritance. Scarisbrick draws on archival research and portraiture to reconstruct the social worlds in which these treasures were commissioned, worn, and bequeathed, offering a richly detailed account of taste, patronage, and dynastic pride across several centuries. A respected authority on the history of jewellery, Scarisbrick writes with the precision of a scholar and the flair of a storyteller, making Ancestral Jewels as visually sumptuous as it is intellectually rigorous. The work situates jewellery not merely as decorative art but as a primary historical document — a glittering record of alliances forged, fortunes made and lost, and identities carefully constructed. For anyone captivated by the intersection of art, history, and the enduring mystique of the British aristocracy, this volume poses an irresistible question: what secrets do these jewels still keep?
Author: Diana Scarisbrick
Format: Hardback
Published: 1990, The Vendome Press
Genre: Antiques & collectibles
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
Few objects speak as eloquently of power, lineage, and legacy as the jewels that have adorned Britain's most illustrious families for centuries, and Ancestral Jewels: Treasures of Britain's Aristocracy by Diana Scarisbrick presents a breathtaking survey of these storied heirlooms. The book chronicles the magnificent gemstones, tiaras, necklaces, and ornaments that passed through the hands of dukes, earls, and countesses, situating each piece within the grand sweep of British aristocratic history and illuminating the intimate personal stories behind their creation and inheritance. Scarisbrick draws on archival research and portraiture to reconstruct the social worlds in which these treasures were commissioned, worn, and bequeathed, offering a richly detailed account of taste, patronage, and dynastic pride across several centuries. A respected authority on the history of jewellery, Scarisbrick writes with the precision of a scholar and the flair of a storyteller, making Ancestral Jewels as visually sumptuous as it is intellectually rigorous. The work situates jewellery not merely as decorative art but as a primary historical document — a glittering record of alliances forged, fortunes made and lost, and identities carefully constructed. For anyone captivated by the intersection of art, history, and the enduring mystique of the British aristocracy, this volume poses an irresistible question: what secrets do these jewels still keep?