{"product_id":"17469-marie-antoinette-the-traveling-wardrobe-of-the-queen","title":"[Marie Antoinette (1755 - 1793)] The Traveling Wardrobe of the Queen","description":"\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eA royal traveling trunk for the Queen's wardrobe, constructed of oak and cyprus, studded leather and hammered metal, the cover arched and inscribed \"\u003c\/span\u003eGARDE ROBE. DE. LA. REINE. N°19\" with hammered nails.  \u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eH.: 48 cm. (19 in.) ; L.: 111,5 cm. (44 in.) ; W.: 52 cm. (20 ½ in.).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eWardrobe trunks were the means of transporting the clothing of the Royal family and large families during the Court's trips to the Royal residences according to the seasons. Each member of the Royal family had his or her own contingent, identified and numbered with nails. This Royal baggage in the form of trunks and chests was constructed by the \u003ci style=\"\"\u003elayetiers\u003c\/i\u003e of the Crown, trade workers who made chests and wooden crates usually used for packaging. It is also known that the \"loans\" of wardrobes were transported through the residences by domestic service from the finery storage to the Royal Chambers in this style of padlocked chest or basket, fully covered in sealed taffeta to avoid poisonings or theft. Indeed, a dedicated trunk handling servant, the \u003ci style=\"\"\u003eporte malle\u003c\/i\u003e, was part of the Royal entourage. The trunks were generally sent by carriage a few days prior to the arrival of the Royals themselves to their homes in Compiègne (in summer), Fontainebleau (in autumn), Marly or Choisy. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eHeavily used and often replaced, these original trunks are exceedingly rare. T\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003ehe use of “La Reine” as an identifier, as seen across the top here, is a distinctly 18th century application of the term. \u003c\/span\u003eThere are three similar examples in the collections of Versailles and Trianon, the present example being more or less identical in construction and identification to the \u003ci style=\"\"\u003eMalle de voyage de la chambre de la Reine Marie-Antoinette n° 8. \u003c\/i\u003eacquired by them in 2005. This example was loaned by Versailles and exhibited internationally as part of the Louis Vuitton traveling exposition \"Volez, Voguez, Voyagez\" in 2018.  The present example is from the collection of one of the most prestigious and influential decorators of the 20th century, Serge Royaux (1924-2016). \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"smartbody__lead-in\" style=\"\"\u003eThis wardrobe trunk is an extraordinary survival from the fabled queen of Louis XVI of France whose lavish wardrobe only increased her image as a frivolous spendthrift, one of the principal reasons why she became despised by the French people. This antipathy would eventually bring down the monarchy and lead her to the guillotine in 1793. Versailles\u003c\/span\u003e was the center not only of French political power but also of French fashion and Marie Antoinette was perhaps the first \u003ci style=\"\"\u003efashion icon\u003c\/i\u003e in the way we presently understand the term\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003e. For and around her, dressmakers, bodice makers and stylists such as Rose Bertin - Marie-Antoinette’s “Minister of Fashion,” who at the time established a princely clientele at Versailles and other European Courts -  built a new kind of empire.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eIt is the first thing most people associate with the doomed queen - skirts as wide as they are tall paired with towering hairstyles, all draped in jewels and pearls - and if Marie wore a style, the rest of the court, and the Western world, followed suit. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003eWe are grateful for the assistance of Mathieu da Vinha (Directeur scientifique, Château de Versailles) for his confirmation that this trunk would have been used for the Queen's domestic service; and to Yves Carlier (\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eConservateur général\u003c\/span\u003e, Château de Versailles) for his confirmation that \"s\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eeveral more or less identical wardrobe trunks are kept in the collection of Versailles...\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eOne bearing N° 8 and the other one N° 9...said \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003ecoming from Marie-Antoinette.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eThe trunk is in very stable condition in its overall construction, with a clear patina of age and evidence of usage as to be expected. Most of the heavy metalwork and supports, hammered trim, locks and handles remain intact and functional. The majority of the hammered nail detailing is intact and well retained by the wood. There are early worm holes to the wood throughout, as shown in the images. The lowermost rear cross panel is partially bowed with some separation from nails, though clearly as such for a long time with the original nail holes well smoothed over. Where there are any losses it is only to a few points of the leather and coated canvas paneling over the closure points and sides, and along the opening joint of the lid, though still holding strong with its redundant layering of support.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\"\u003eThe trunk and luggage collecting market has never been stronger. Recent Vuitton collaboration trunks with Supreme and Kusama have sold in the $200-$300k range and an 1892 Vuitton aluminum mail trunk fetched $200k when it sold at auction in 2018. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Schubertiade Music and Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46093651607711,"sku":"17469","price":200000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/4826\/7423\/files\/Marie_Antoinette_Trunk_17469.png?v=1722189450","url":"https:\/\/www.schubertiademusic.com\/products\/17469-marie-antoinette-the-traveling-wardrobe-of-the-queen","provider":"Schubertiade Music and Arts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}