Chapter 6
TREASURE BEYOND MEASURE
“I’m feeling,” Sebastian announced, “extremely poor.”
We were in the Silver Gilt Room at the time, halfway through the many rooms of the historic vaults, walking past an enormous silver service, bejeweled cups, a hunting horn set with silver and inlaid with diamonds, and so much more. This room was mostly mirrored, exactly as in my memory.
“The mirrors,” I told the others, “are reflective by means of a thin layer of mercury, because they are so old. You can tell because they sparkle when the light from the chandeliers shines on them, you see?”
“Dude,” Ben said, “I can’t even look. I’m sort of blinded, you know?
And it’s all really fancy, but it’s not exactly exciting.
OK, the big ship carved out of ivory was cool, with all the little sailors, but I can kind of take or leave all this stuff.
I could go back to that armor room, though, with the weapons, and meet you guys back at the hotel.
Unless you’re going to get a snack, maybe. ”
“Just wait,” I told him. Which he did, room after room, walking past silver and gold and diamonds and precious stones and into the Hall of Precious Objects, past an extremely overdecorated seven-foot obelisk featuring a portrait of Augustus II in the center, with cameos of rulers from classical antiquity around it.
“The obelisk is inlaid with two hundred forty precious stones,” I told the little group.
“Augustus intended it as a symbol of his coming of age as a ruler. He saw himself as nearly a modern Caesar, as you can probably tell. Did you know that this was one of the very first museums in history? Older than the British Museum, and second only to the museums in St. Petersburg and the Vatican. He collected all of this and displayed it, but he also invited the public in, which was entirely novel. The well-dressed public,” I told Ben.
“That was the stipulation. There you are: a reason to dress well.”
“Well, yeah,” Ben said, “if I was hot on seeing some guy’s private museum and lived hundreds of years ago. One person collected all this stuff? Seriously?”
“Seriously,” I said. “To show off, certainly—to impress his subjects and other rulers with his power and wealth. Did I mention that he wanted to be King of Poland? Also Grand Duke of Lithuania, and he got both wishes. But also, I think, because he sincerely wanted to share the beauty of these objects with others. A childish sort of exuberance, I’ve always imagined, like a boy rushing to show his mother the dandelions he’s picked for her.
A great lust for life, Augustus. He’s estimated to have had over three hundred sixty illegitimate children. Imagine the number of mistresses.”
Sebastian said, “Augustus the Strong is right. I’m exhausted just imagining it.”
“How do you know that?” That was Ashleigh, who was traipsing around with us still, and had been extremely disappointed when she hadn’t been allowed to film the collections.
“I heard it from one of the maids,” I said, “and asked my father. He told me to ask my mother. She told me that young ladies didn’t speak of such things. Later, once the internet existed, I looked it up, and it’s true. That number may even be low.”
“This place,” Sebastian said. “And I thought quarterbacks got paid a lot.”
“And got laid a lot, you want to say,” Alix said.
“No,” he said. “I was passing on saying that, because we’re with your grandmother.”
“Ha,” Alix said. “Oma is a modern woman. She was thinking it.”
“But not saying it,” I said. “Implying it. Much more tasteful.”
“Ha,” Alix said again. “Look at this solid gold coffee service. Holy wealth inequality, Batman.”
“Wait,” Ashleigh said. “Have you seen these things before, Mrs., uh, Mrs ...?”
“Oh, yes,” I said. “Many times. It’s Mrs. Stark.” Ashleigh had learned some history during her journeying, if only that acquaintances hadn’t always used each other’s Christian names. “Here—let’s go to the next room. You may enjoy this one more, Ben.”
“Holy shit,” Ashleigh breathed, as we stepped into the Jewel Chamber.
“You probably shouldn’t swear around Tante Marguerite,” Ben said.
“Sorry,” Ashleigh said. “It’s just—” She waved a helpless hand. “Wow.”
“Come see this.” I’d forgotten my aching feet and back, unused now to hours spent on marble floors, in the excitement of being here again.
“My English governess,” I told the others, “called it ‘treasure beyond measure.’ I used to whisper that under my breath sometimes. I liked the sound of it. Here. This is what I wanted to show you. The Moors, they’re called.
Moor with crystals, Moor with pearls, and the main one in the center here, Moor With Emerald Cluster. Very fine, are they not?”
“Holy cow,” Alix said.
“You can say that again,” Ashleigh said. “Are those really—”
“Yes,” I said, wishing as I always had for the case to be opened so I could touch.
The center statue stood about two feet high and was lavishly decorated with gold and jewels, but the real extravagance was what the Moor carried before him on a tray.
“He’s painted pearwood embellished by silver, gold, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.
The large stone in his breastplate is a ruby, and that on his feather crown an emerald.
And then, as you see, there is the huge cluster of uncut emeralds he carries, the reason this statue is so well known.
The real artistry, though, is in his expression, his joyful stance.
Look how he’s laughing, how real he seems. Brilliant.
The three Moors were a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, to Augustus II. Trading favors, you could say.”
“That’s a pretty big favor,” Ben said. “They must all have been so rich.”
“Indeed,” I said. “Rudolf was King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria. Then and now, a ruler needs allies, and Rudolf was not a very effectual ruler. He may have caused the Thirty Years’ War, in fact.
He also had affairs with his valets and never married, and was famously fond of nude artworks as well. Rather scandalous in his day.”
“I’ll bet your mother didn’t tell you that one either,” Alix said.
“No,” I said. “I read it in a book and told my governess, and she told me that nice girls didn’t speak of such things.”
“And yet here you are,” Alix said, “speaking of them.”
“Yes,” I said. “Human nature interests me. It’s very isolating being a king, and even when a king married, it was generally not for love.
With one’s valet, perhaps, one could let one’s hair down, although Rudolf may have taken that to the extreme.
Now, the ‘Moors’ here, the statues, are actually meant to be South American Indians—the rumors at that time, around 1700, would have it that the streets of South America practically ran with precious metals and jewels—but as you see, the sculptors had no idea what color the Indians were, and enameled them in near-black.
They do look happy, though, don’t they? They aren’t meant to be servants, you know.
They’re meant to be warriors, though why they’re carrying precious gems is definitely a question.
Because they’re pretty, I imagine. And over here—”
I’d hit my stride now, and was hurrying despite my sore feet to the other side of the room, where a group already stood around a display at least five feet in diameter, the largest and most elaborate exhibit in the place, and my favorite.
“The Royal Household at Delhi. India was rumored to be a most resplendent place, where the rulers wielded absolute power. There was a bit of a fad for India among the European nobility as a result.”
“Absolute power,” Ashleigh said. She was now recording my voice, I suspected, because she’d stopped typing. How young people type so quickly with their thumbs, I’ll never understand. “As opposed to this Augustus guy’s obvious communism. Shared the wealth much, did he?”
I laughed, nearly giddy with seeing the beloved court scene again, with all its personages and all its little dramas.
“You may well criticize, but there’s no denying it’s a beautiful piece.
Look how each figure, only a few inches high, is a fully realized person, so well crafted and painted that you can see their personalities. ”
“I’m more stunned,” Sebastian said, “by all that bling.”
“Almost five thousand diamonds,” I said, “a hundred sixty-four emeralds, and a hundred sixty rubies. Somebody counted, I assume. The most beautiful dollhouse in the world, was how I saw it, as the figures were movable, and oh, how I wished to move them! This piece cost Augustus II more than building Moritzburg Castle.”
“Wait,” Alix said, “another castle?”
“Oh, yes,” I said, “the country seat of the ruler, which still stands undamaged. About eight miles north of the city, with a formal park and a very large game preserve. Augustus added a building solely for the purpose of displaying birds’ nests. A collector is a collector.”
“So who does that belong to now?” Ashleigh asked. “Who does all this belong to? Germany, I guess. So there weren’t any … heirs, or whatever?”
“An excellent question,” Alix said. “I’m reconsidering here about the tiara.
Excuse me, Oma, but who does all this belong to?
Look at this sword. It’s pretty much all diamonds on the holder-thingie and the handle-thingie.
And what’s this ugly pin-thing over here?
It’s in a case all by itself, so I’m guessing it’s important. How much is all this worth?”
“The scabbard of the sword, you mean,” I said, “and the hilt. A great many diamonds there, yes.”
“I don’t imagine it would be comfortable to hold that,” Sebastian said.