Comments on: From crappy claret jug to Holy Grail in one auction http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/121 History fetish? What history fetish? Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:41:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: livius drusus http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/121#comment-14389 livius drusus Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:18:54 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/121#comment-14389 Thank you for that fascinating comment, Mr. Fripp. I'm saddened that Arts Newspaper didn't mention Eleanor of Aquitaine's prior ownership of the Louvre's ewer. Not only is historical name-dropping always fun, but in this case it would have emphasized the rarity, age and importance of the Fatimid rock crystal ewers. I've perused your site, and have very much enjoyed reading about your eclectic interests. Did you come across Eleanor's ewer in your own study of her, or is it something you discovered after the recent auction? Thank you for that fascinating comment, Mr. Fripp. I’m saddened that Arts Newspaper didn’t mention Eleanor of Aquitaine’s prior ownership of the Louvre’s ewer. Not only is historical name-dropping always fun, but in this case it would have emphasized the rarity, age and importance of the Fatimid rock crystal ewers.

I’ve perused your site, and have very much enjoyed reading about your eclectic interests. Did you come across Eleanor’s ewer in your own study of her, or is it something you discovered after the recent auction?

]]> By: Robert Fripp http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/121#comment-14388 Robert Fripp Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:59:43 +0000 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/121#comment-14388 It's hard to believe anyone could mistake rock crystal (quartz) for nineteenth century glass. Especially this piece, which looks to be amethyst-purple. (Amethyst is rock quartz stained potassium-purple.) Apart from other considerations, this Fatimid rock crystal ewer bears an intuitive resemblance (I didn't say physical resemblance) to the vase which Eleanor of Aquitaine presented to her first husband, Louis VII, in 1137. The linked article from the Art Newspaper refers to this only as "A further one was in the treasury of the Abbey of Saint Denis in Paris and is now in the Louvre." Eleanor's vase, in clearer crystal, may also have come from the east via Eleanor's port city of Bordeaux. It’s hard to believe anyone could mistake rock crystal (quartz) for nineteenth century glass. Especially this piece, which looks to be amethyst-purple. (Amethyst is rock quartz stained potassium-purple.) Apart from other considerations, this Fatimid rock crystal ewer bears an intuitive resemblance (I didn’t say physical resemblance) to the vase which Eleanor of Aquitaine presented to her first husband, Louis VII, in 1137. The linked article from the Art Newspaper refers to this only as “A further one was in the treasury of the Abbey of Saint Denis in Paris and is now in the Louvre.” Eleanor’s vase, in clearer crystal, may also have come from the east via Eleanor’s port city of Bordeaux.

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