476 THE BOOK OF THE PEARL
of
diamonds. In his right hand the dwarf holds a spit and in his left a
roast. On his left shoulder he bears a goose, the upper part of whose
body is formed of a pearl ; at his right side hangs a bottle also
formed of a pearl. The gilded pedestal is ornamented with white
enamel-work on a pink ground. Above and below, it is set with white and
yellow diamonds. Another figure, similarly formed of a large baroque
pearl ornamented with gold and diamonds, shows a drunken vintager and
his dog; and an exceedingly grotesque, ornamented baroque is said to
bear a striking resemblance to Senior Pepe, the court dwarf of Charles
II of Spain.
Exhibited
at the Palace of Rosenberg at Copenhagen, are similar designs in which
large baroques form the principal part of fish, birds, dragons,
mermaids, etc. Prominent among them is the figure of a skater, executed
by the jeweler, Diederichsen; it is said that this was made for
Frederick VII, who died before it was accepted, and in 1895 it was
presented to the museum.
A
beautiful and costly figure of this nature was completed a year or two
ago by the court jeweler, Alfred Dragsen, of Copenhagen. This is nearly
four inches in height, and represents a female snake-charmer. A very
long baroque pearl forms the body from the shoulders to the knees, and
the head, arms, and the legs below the knees are of gold. The figure is
ornamented with a diamond-studded garland, ruby necklace and earrings,
and garters set with similar gems, a red enameled girdle ornamented
with pearls, and golden anklets with black pearls. With a flute she
charms a serpent twined about her body and grasped with the other hand.
What
is said to be the finest collection of black pearls in all Europe is
that belonging to the Duchess of Anhalt Dessau, Germany. It consists of
three large caskets of black pearls that have taken a century to
collect. It is traditional in the family that these pearls are never to
be sold except as their last possession, since they know they will
always find a purchaser.
A
collection of pearls had been kept for many years in the Monte de
Piedad of Mexico City, which it was claimed had been pawned by a friend
of the Empress Carlotta, in order to provide her with money at the time
of the assassination of Emperor Maximilian. These pearls were contained
in a necklace and a pearl and diamond tiara, which were sewn upon
cardboard covered with black velvet, and had the appearance of not
having been disturbed for many years. The necklace consisted of old
pearls, both of the so-called Madras and Panama varieties; in the
center was a large diamond medallion from which pear-shaped pearls were
suspended. It is believed that these pearls were part of Empress
Carlotta's marriage portion, and that they
