I am so sorry that I missed the Magnificence of the Tsars exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The clothes, the jewelry and the history are all fascinating to me. The exhibition is being presented with the Moscow Kremlin Museums. Here are some of my favourite pieces from the V&A's on-line site about the exhibit, which ends in late March.
Hat worn by Nicholas II at the Russian Ball of 1903Fabrique de Chapeaux Bruno Frères
Russia1903
Silk brocade and fur
Coronation herald’s bootsLeather by E. Shtumpf, embroidery designed by E.P. Pomarev
Worked by M. Zaleman
Moscow 1896
Russian Leather
Nightgown with silver thread buttons worn by Peter II
Coat and waistcoatFrance1727–1730
Silk velvet and silk taffeta with silver embroidery
Red wool suit worn by Peter II1727-1730
Those tsars really knew how to dress! I couldn't quite imagine, however, sleeping in that nightgown.
ReplyDelete-Lana
hello! I was just looking at this yesterday, wish I could see it as well! my husband saw the like on his trip to Russia at the Kremlin, so ornate!
ReplyDeleteI'll take the last three items, plus the boots.
ReplyDeleteAL... Not the hat? I LOVE the hat! I'd be happy as anything wearing that to do my late night walk with Connor!
ReplyDeleteWow, I would have loved to see this as well PD. The clothes are beautiful. The hat is magnificent!
ReplyDeletethe thing that always kills me about these kind of exhibits is how small the clothes are! people were so tiny back then - it's SO weird!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll take the boots and the last two coats - thank you very much!
Love the boots! Wouldn't mind having those in my closet! ;)
ReplyDeletemy winter hat is just like the tsar's, sans beaded brocade - a ring of fur that i wear around my head - i just love it and feel so elegant - most people say it looks russian -
ReplyDeleteThe attention to details on these pieces are just magnificent. I love the boots.
ReplyDeleteOh and Meg I nominated you for this contest!http://artbykarena.blogspot.com/2009/01/pay-it-forward-and-share-luv.html
ReplyDeleteLove the tsars' style! Though they weren't very good to their people :(
ReplyDeleteBut the clothes were good. I went some years ago to an exhibition of tsars jewels at the Brooklyn Museum. That was so beautiful, I was walking around in circles. Big emeralds. Then in Toronto I saw an exhibition of Catherine the Great. Did you know she married into the royal family and then had her husband killed so she could take over. Interesting group!
Although a little later era, I was doing a number of interviews at the Royal Museum of Scotland when the exhibit "The Last Tsar and Tsarina" was there. I must have seen it four or five times. Unfortunately, the ending was always the same.
ReplyDeleteThose boots are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI am bug-eyed pupils spinning crazy for the hat!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post.
Wow - what an exhibit!! Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteAll are fabulous -- but maybe that fur-crown would be nice for doing the school-runs?
ReplyDeleteJust yesterday, a friend was raving about her recent trip to the V&A. I haven't been for years; MUST GO!
Bee... you MUST go! There are just so many good things to see there... and a great gift shop.
ReplyDeleteWe have always been inspired by Russian design and are always amazed at the level of skill and craftsmanship that went into their work. Thanks so much for posting this!
ReplyDeleteS+S