Drawing, Wall Decoration, Dragons, possibly for Music Room, Royal Pavilion, Brighton

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Object Timeline

1948	We acquired this object.
2013	We photographed this object.
2015	We photographed this object.
2024	You found it!

Drawing, Wall Decoration, Dragons, possibly for Music Room, Royal Pavilion, Brighton

This is a Drawing. It was created by Frederick Crace and made for (as the client) George IV, King of England. It is dated 1815–22 and we acquired it in 1948. Its medium is graphite on white wove paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

It is credited Museum purchase through gift of Mrs. John Innes Kane.

Hand Mirror
rolled, cast, repoussé and punched silver, mirrored glass, steel.
Gift of Fong Chow.
1996-109-2

An elaborately decorated black enamel vanity case with rounded corners and an oblong shape, featuring a finely crafted inlaid panel made with gold, platinum, diamonds, malachite, ruby and carved coral depicting a dragon and mountains motif on an etched mother of pearl background. The dragon has a sinuous s-shaped body with a tight black scales, and articulated claws and a squared face made from inlaid pieces of red coral accented in gold. A gold spine follows the contours of the tail as it wraps around the tallest of three vertical malachite “mountains,” set against a backdrop of swirling, etched mother of pearl pieces resembling clouds. A 'pearl', amde from a cabochon ruby near the top of the panel has attenuated gold rays leading to the top of the panel and is in the eye line of the dragon. The inner panel is framed by four L-shaped corners featuring an equal number of round, pave diamonds, accented by four small wave-shaped enamel incursions with swirling gold accents. Decorations at either end of the vanity feature an oblong group of cabochon coral “beads” surrounding a black enamel center. on the long side, a clasp with a narrow strip of coral and a row of pave diamonds rests on a platinum strip with a wavy mother of pearl inset on the right, and lacquer corner with a single inset diamond on the left.

Vanity Case, Dragon and the Pearl
gold, malachite, mother-of-pearl, cabochon ruby, diamonds, enamel, carved....
Lent by Private Collection.
13.2016.11

Its dimensions are

28.6 x 31.5 cm (11 1/4 x 12 3/8 in.) Mat: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)

It has the following markings

Watermark: Lower left edge, read from recto: J WHATMAN/TURKEY MILL Wove paper (kb)

Cite this object as

Drawing, Wall Decoration, Dragons, possibly for Music Room, Royal Pavilion, Brighton; Frederick Crace (English, 1779–1859); Client: George IV, King of England; England; graphite on white wove paper; 28.6 x 31.5 cm (11 1/4 x 12 3/8 in.) Mat: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.); Museum purchase through gift of Mrs. John Innes Kane; 1948-40-24

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2Do64/
Accession Number 1948-40-24
Object ID 18609941