BAPST & FALIZE, Years 1880-1890 - Lot 14

Lot n° 14
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Estimation :
1000 - 1500 EUR
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Result : 1 900EUR
BAPST & FALIZE, Years 1880-1890 - Lot 14
BAPST & FALIZE, Years 1880-1890 Legitimist silver 800‰ opening rigid rush bracelet, amatized background with fleur-de-lys frieze and the HV monogram of Henri d'Artois (Henri V), laurel branch surrounded by a phylactery engraved "1883 FROHSDORF" and a stylized knotted ribbon holding a pediment engraved "ARQUES 1589". Features a foliated "P" on the inside of the band. The blade is made of 800‰ vermeil. Signed in a rectangle "BAPST & FALIZE Joail[lier]s de la Couronne". French work, Diamond hallmark of Alexis FALIZE. Wrist circumference: 17cm. Band width: 1.8cm. Design width: 2.6cm. P. : 53,8 g. Emblematic of the political tensions that divided France in the mid-19th century, this bracelet is a fitting reminder of one of the dynastic quarrels that marked the period. Indeed, on the death of Charles X in 1836, his grandson Henri de Bourbon, Comte de Chambord (1820-1883), became the legitimate pretender to the throne of France under the name of Henri V. His death in 1883 rekindled the debate over the devolution of the French throne, pitting the Legitimist branch of the House of Bourbon against the claims of the Houses of Orléans and Bonaparte. This bracelet is at the heart of this debate as material evidence of support for the Bourbon branch: its commissioner's intention was to assert the legitimacy of King Henry V. The jewel's ornamental vocabulary clearly reflects this support: the monogram, alternating fleurs-de-lys and the initials "HV", refers directly to Henri V, while the reverse evokes the battle of Arques, recalling both his affiliation with the House of Bourbon and his ancestor Henri IV. A laurel branch surrounded by a phylactery engraved "1883 Frohsdorf" recalls the date and place of Henri V's death, while the medallion "P" can be interpreted as the number of the bracelet's owner. Manufactured by the Parisian firm of Bapst & Falize, jewelers to the crown, this jewel is the result of the 1880 partnership between Lucien Falize and Germain Bapst. This partnership came to an end in 1892, when Germain Bapst withdrew, having presented several pieces of goldsmithing and jewelry at the 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris.
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