Rosette from cap of Prince Philip II (1573-1618)

Jewels were an inseparable element of parade attire. Gold, precious stones and pearls were a sign of wealth and social position. The inventories of the Pomeranian duchesses and dukes mention dozens of pieces of jewellery: ornaments for headdresses and hairstyles, chains and pendants, bracelets, rings, belts and all sorts of trinkets and pendants used to decorate costumes. Miniature works of jewellery art were meant to arouse admiration and emphasise the splendour of power through their material value and extraordinary craftsmanship.The great importance attached to ornaments is evidenced by representative portraits, in which precious jewellery was consistently reproduced in detail. In the case of the jewels adorning Francis I's cap, we have a rare situation where the preserved jewellery has been recorded in two old portraits. In the portrait from 1616, the sovereign is supporting his hand on the table, on which, next to a gold watch, a hat is shown, decorated at the brim with elaborate rosettes fastened in a chain, and a magnificent aigrette supporting a half-metre high ponytail made of ostrich feathers. Similar impressive jewels with a plume made of black heron feathers decorate the Duke's cap on the posthumous portrait from 1621. These jewels were an essential part of the parade costume in which the Duke's body was displayed to the public for several weeks, described in printed accounts of the funeral ceremonies and recorded in the last portrait. The magnificence of the costume and jewels created the ruler's posthumous image and, at the same time, the glory of the dynasty.

Monika Frankowska-Makała