Desk seal

THE LADY MARY DOUGLAS-HAMILTON (1850-1922) DESK SEAL
A LATE 19TH-CENTURY ROCK CRYSTAL AND MULTI-GEM SET DESK SEAL
Sold for £13,860

Inclusive of Buyer's Premium
A Private Collection of Seals

Auction: 19 May 2023 from 10:00 BST

Description
the facetted tapered rock crystal handle with engraved M and earl's coronet engraved to terminal, the applied metal mount formed as an earl's coronet with pearl spikes, a set border of diamonds alternating with emeralds, rubies and sapphires, the neck with a rope twist border above a pierced border, the rock crystal matrix engraved with the arms for Furst Festetics von Tolna (1850-1933) and Lady Mary Douglas Hamilton


Dimensions
Length: 95mm, matrix diameter: 21mm

Footnote
Note:

This seal was to commemorate the marriage of Lady Mary-Victoria Douglas-Hamilton (1850-1922) and Tasziló II Festetics de Tolna (born Festetics), Prince, (1850 – 1933).

Born to the 11th Duke of Hamilton and Marie Amelie Elisabeth Karoline Prinzessin von Baden, Lady Mary-Victoria was the youngest of three, with two elder brothers. The eldest brother who would go on to become the 12th Duke and marry Lady Mary Montagu.

Lady Mary Victoria’s first marriage was to Prince Albert, the heir apparent of Monaco. The Grimaldi family looked for an alliance with British royalty and aristocracy and the Douglas-Hamilton family was suggested as the highest-ranking peer in Scotland. Their marriage in 1869 followed quickly with a son, Louis who would become Louis II and grandfather of Prince Rainier III. However, after a couple of years Lady Mary grew to dislike Monaco and their marriage was finally annulled in January 1880 which allowed the marriage to Tasziló II Festetics a Hungarian count in June of 1880.

Following their wedding in Florence they set up home in Budapest with four children, their eldest Maria would marry into the Von Furstenburg family. As Lady Mary-Victoria’s mother was Princess Marie of Baden Baden there had always been a strong German connection. Prince Louis had been with his mother for his formative years but was obliged to return for Royal training at the age of 11. It would seem that he also did not enjoy living with his father and left for studies at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy and then onto the Foreign Legion.

The delicate nature of this seal reflects the true love story of Lady Mary-Victoria and Tasziló, purported to be a wedding gift from Tassilo’s sister and brother-in-law, Gina and Zdenko which accounts for the intertwined Ms to the top of the seal.

Lady Mary-Victoria passed away in 1922 and Tasziló ten years later, but they are both buried together on the Festetics estate.