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Details
An important early 19th century gold, hardstone and enamel parure, formerly belonging to Henriette Yardley Clark the wife of Dr John Yardley Clark, personal physician to Joseph Bonaparte
Comprising a necklace composed of nine graduated oval agate cameo panels, the large central cameo carved as the head of Zeus in profile facing left, the remainder carved as the profile heads of a Bacchante with thyrsus, Flora, Diana and Psyche, each in gold frame mount with Swiss polychrome enamel scroll and flower motif decorative border to smaller connecting panel links each set with a similar agate cameo, 44.0cm long; a cameo diadem; a pair of cameo earpendants and two bracelets en suite; together with an oval shell cameo brooch carved as a portrait of Dr John Yardley Clark, in profile facing left within matching gold and Swiss enamel border, 8.0cm long, all circa 1830
Partially illustrated
Comprising a necklace composed of nine graduated oval agate cameo panels, the large central cameo carved as the head of Zeus in profile facing left, the remainder carved as the profile heads of a Bacchante with thyrsus, Flora, Diana and Psyche, each in gold frame mount with Swiss polychrome enamel scroll and flower motif decorative border to smaller connecting panel links each set with a similar agate cameo, 44.0cm long; a cameo diadem; a pair of cameo earpendants and two bracelets en suite; together with an oval shell cameo brooch carved as a portrait of Dr John Yardley Clark, in profile facing left within matching gold and Swiss enamel border, 8.0cm long, all circa 1830
Partially illustrated
Provenance
Property of Henriette Yardley Clark thence by decent to the vendor
Further details
Henriette Marie Girard was born in Burlington, Philadelphia, on 26th June, 1802, her father Jean Girard died in 1803 and she and her sister Caroline became wards of Jean's brother Stephen. Stephen Girard was a French-born naturalized American philanthropist and banker and was one of the wealthiest Americans of the time. He had republican sympathies and when Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, was exiled to America after the Battle of Waterloo, Stephen helped him as well as a number of high ranking Bonapartists including Generals Henri and Charles Lallemand. Henri had commanded the Artillerie-á-Pied de la Garde and Charles the Chasseurs á Cheval at Waterloo.
Joseph Bonaparte asked Stephen for permission for Henri Lallemand to marry Henriette which was accepted and they were married on 28th October 1817, Henriette was 15 years old. Lallemand died in 1823, and in 1829 Henriette married Joseph's physician John Yardley Clark.
John was a worldly and travelled man and in 1830 he set out with Henriette and her sister Caroline on a tour of France, Italy and Switzerland. In Florence they joined Joseph Bonaparte's daughters Zenaide and Charlotte. Caroline kept a journal of their adventures and on the 12th April 1831 she records "a suberb gift from the kindest the best of brothers...a complete set of cammé' it would make sense that John also gave cameos to his wife Henriette. Caroline records that when in Geneva they inspected some goldsmiths work and presumably it was there that they had the cameos mounted. (The shell cameo is of John and was mounted in the same manner, it can be seen worn by Henriette in a contemporary portrait of her)
Caroline did not have any children and when she died in 1875 she left all her money and possessions, including her cameo jewellery, to her sister Henriette, herself a widow; she died in 1880.
Joseph Bonaparte asked Stephen for permission for Henri Lallemand to marry Henriette which was accepted and they were married on 28th October 1817, Henriette was 15 years old. Lallemand died in 1823, and in 1829 Henriette married Joseph's physician John Yardley Clark.
John was a worldly and travelled man and in 1830 he set out with Henriette and her sister Caroline on a tour of France, Italy and Switzerland. In Florence they joined Joseph Bonaparte's daughters Zenaide and Charlotte. Caroline kept a journal of their adventures and on the 12th April 1831 she records "a suberb gift from the kindest the best of brothers...a complete set of cammé' it would make sense that John also gave cameos to his wife Henriette. Caroline records that when in Geneva they inspected some goldsmiths work and presumably it was there that they had the cameos mounted. (The shell cameo is of John and was mounted in the same manner, it can be seen worn by Henriette in a contemporary portrait of her)
Caroline did not have any children and when she died in 1875 she left all her money and possessions, including her cameo jewellery, to her sister Henriette, herself a widow; she died in 1880.