| "Another strange piece is this William B. Kerr two-piece buckle featuring a painted portrait on porcelain mounted in the center. The two side pieces are standard "production" elements that are also found as a two-piece buckle on their own. In this instance, they become the "frame" for the portrait."
"This buckle is a window on history. The portrait is of a beautiful and noble young woman and is clearly labeled on the reverse "Elisabeth d'Orleans." The portrait may be a souvenir of a visit to France, or it could be a family heirloom. But the portrait subject, and the time of manufacture of the buckle, are far apart. Born in Germany, Liselotte von der Pfalz was married to Philippe d'Orleans, only brother of Louis XIV (the "Sun King"), on November 16, 1671. Known in France as Elisabeth Charlotte, Duchesse d'Orleans, "Madame" spent the next fifty years in and near the center of one of the most glorious courts of Europe. Liselotte was a prolific letter writer throughout her life, sometimes writing as many as forty a week to friends and family in Germany, and these letters provide an insider's view of the events and follies of court life in France at that time. " |
