Papal slipper of Pius VII. - Lot 174

Lot n° 174
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Estimation :
3000 - 5000 EUR
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Result : 3 882EUR
Papal slipper of Pius VII. - Lot 174
Papal slipper of Pius VII. In white skin covered with red cloth, richly embroidered on the clap with a four-lobed motif decorated with flowers and palmettes in thread, lamé and silver-gilded cannetille. Leather sole with heel. Decorated on the edge and seams with gold passementerie braid. Red silk interior and sole marked in pen "Pio VII". Remainder of "564" collection label Length : 28 cm E.M. (Wear and moth holes, ribbon missing). Early 19th century. With certificate from Mr. Cevola Martignoni in Italian from 1886 addressed to a high dignitary of the clergy "S.E. Monseigneur" attesting that the slipper belonged to Pope Pius VII. Provenance : - Guiseppe Cevola Martignoni, antiquities dealer, circa 1885. Collection of a high-ranking clergyman. -From a private collection in Brittany. Historical background: Guiseppe Cevola Martignoni is mentioned in proposals for gifts or sales to the State, in this case 17 copperplates engraved by Marc-Antoine Raimondi after Albert Durer's "Life of the Virgin" in 1889. Martignoni, an antiques dealer, was part of Pope Pius IX's entourage, as we note that in 1872 "a select group of people solicited and offered to His Holiness a large sum of money, collected for the anniversary of April 12 (the pope's return to Rome in 1850). This noble expression of devotion and loyalty to the Pope was promoted by Giuseppe Cevola Martignoni and his sister Teresa. Deeply moved by the fervor of the speech and the sweetness of the poetic, graceful dialogue, the Holy Father addressed the assembly with words full of gratitude and fatherly love, nourished by holy counsel and an apostolic blessing." On the question of whether this is a mule (exterior) or a slipper (interior), a comparison with the two models of Pope Pius VI (see below), allows us to say that it is a slipper. Related works : -Thomas LAWRENCE, "Portrait of Pope Pius VII", 1819, Royal Collection, Windsor Castle. The Pope wears the same model of slipper, with the same four-lobed motif. - Papal slipper (silk) of Pius VI. Preserved in the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. - Papal mule (leather) of Pius VI. Preserved in the collegiate church of Saint-Barnard, Romans-sur-Isère. Both feature the same four-lobed motif, but a different passementerie ribbon pattern. Biography: Pius VII (1742-1823) Elected in Venice on March 14, 1800 to replace Pius VI, he returned to Rome, where he initiated talks with Bonaparte that led to a Concordat with the French Republic on July 15, 1801. In 1804, the Pope came to Paris to crown Napoleon I emperor, with whom relations soon became strained. In 1808, Napoleon had Rome occupied; the following year, he united the Papal States with the French Empire. Pius VII, who had excommunicated the Emperor, was placed under house arrest in Savona until he was taken (1812) to Fontainebleau, where he resisted Napoleon's demands. Sent back to Rome in 1814, he dedicated himself to the restoration of his states and the Church. Expert : Arnaud DE GOUVION SAINT-CYR.
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