This special exhibition presents one of the world's finest collections of Porte-bouquets, antique posey holders. These small objects of adornment provided the finishing touch to the embellishment rituals of the most refined ladies of the 19th century. Made of gold, silver or gilded metal, with handles of shell or ivory, they were used to hold in place the small bouquets of flowers that European women would wear at balls and large celebrations.
The 130 exquisite objects in the exhibition come from the Bilgi Kenber Collection of Paris, France and are being made available for presentation in the United States and Canada for the first time.
The Kenber Collection has previously been exhibited in Europe at the following museums: Muséé Cognacq-Jay, Paris; The Fan Museum, Greenwich, London; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne, Carcassonne; Museo Mario Praz, Rome; Museu Frederic Marès, Barcelona.
As the name itself suggests, the bouquet-holder allows one or more flowers to be carried within a receptacle and held in place by different types of fixings. This accessory, which can be held in the hand or attached to the clothing, can be extended by a handle joined to the receptacle by a type of band. The limited number of publications dedicated to bouquet-holders concur that they were originated in France.
The use of bouquet-holders started to become popular during the reign of Louis XIV in the Court of Versailles and later became more widespread throughout the 18th century. During this period, both clothes and hair were adorned with flowers which were placed in small bottles to conserve their perfume and freshness. These first bouquet-holders were hidden in bodices or worn attached to the clothing. As was the case with all Versailles fashions, the use of bouquet-holders extended throughout the other European courts, which were highly influenced by French trends.
The 19th century custom of carrying flowers encouraged manufacturers to create new types of bouquet-holder. Most of the pieces that we know of were made during the Victorian era. During the 19th century the bouquet-holder experienced widespread popularity, in part thanks to mechanical innovations. In France, the splendour of the Second Empire meant the bouquet-holder reached its peak in popularity, which even lead to it being given as an official gift.
The bouquet-holder was also a commemorative memento of an historic encounter or event.
The bouquet-holder always consisted of a vase whose composition is a variation of the form of a sheet, cone or horn. The vase where the flowers are placed is made of one or more materials that are usually richly decorated: enamel, stones, pearls or items such as a mirror, a miniature, a dance card holder, a pencil or an accessory for attaching the flower bouquet.
The bouquet-holder often has a handle that extends the vase. The handle is not always made of the same material as the vase: it could be made of metal, wood, ivory, horn, shell, mother-of-pearl, agate or ceramic. It is sometimes finished off with feet or a vinaigrette. The most elaborate bouquet-holders include feet that enable them to be turned into a small vase for flowers.
The study of bouquet-holders has developed over time, above all as a result of the exhibitions that have been held in Europe based on the Kenber collection. This collection was started over 15 years ago and now includes 130 bouquet-holders which provide a rare portrait of the development of this valuable object during the 100 years that they spent discreetly accompanying female floral accessories in the royal courts and populations of France, England, Russia, Spain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Sweden, Italy etc.
The exhibition will be available for presentation beginning in 2009 and will be accompanied by a color brochure.
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Exhibition Facts
Contents: Publications: Loan Fee: Shipping: Insurance:
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130 antique posey holders A color brochure with essay upon request |
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Links:
Brochures from Previous Exhibitions
Schedule
Landau Traveling Exhibitions Website
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Photo copyrights:
© Paris-Musées / Karin Maucotel, 2005 (all photos except the following)
© Hervé Samzun, Bordeaux (bou 128.jpg)
© Bilgi Kenber (bou 130-1.jpg to bou 130-4.jpg)
© BnF, Dépt.des Estampes et Photographies, Paris (b/w etching-detail)
© National Museum, Belgrade (Jelisaveta Cvarkovic, painting by Uros Knezevic-detail)