PRINCE BAUDOUIN: A large French silver ewer and basin in fitted case, Jean-Baptiste-Gustave Odiot, Paris, circa 1869

the baluster-shaped ewer on a circular foot, flat-chased with stiff leafage on matting, the body partly fluted and matted, chased with a band of scrolling acanthus and laurel- and berry sprays on a matted ground, the inverted neck applied with ribbon-tied laurel swags, suspending two oval medallions, one engraved with a mirror monogram BB below a Royal Crown for Prince Baudouin, the other with 26 Juin 1869, a border of matted flutes below the everted lip, chased with acanthus, scroll leaf-capped handle, gilt interior, the circular basin, chased with flutes and husks on matting, beaded border, everted rim applied with laurel- and berry border, on circular base, gilt interior, also stamped Odiot A Paris, n° 2027, the fitted case painted with number B 66 and FL 92, also with the label of Odiot A Paris

The ewer and basin were presumably given by King Léopold II to the Count and Countess of Flanders on the occasion of birth of their son Baudouin Léopold Philippe Marie Charles Antoine Joseph Louis, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Duke of Saxony. He was the eldest son of Philippe, Count of Flanders (1837-1905) by his wife Princess Marie-Louise of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1845-1912), born in the Regency Palace in Brussels on 3rd June 1869. Prince Baudouin was the heir to the throne after the death of King Léopold II only son Léopold, Count of Hainault (1859-1869), who died of pneumonia as a result of a fall into one of the pawns of the park of the Castle Laken. The young Prince Baudouin sadly enough died as well very young at the age of 21, on 23rd January 1891. Consequently, his brother Prince Albert (1875-1934) became King of Belgium in 1909.

Literature: exh. cat. Koninklijk zilver voor volk en vorst, Antwerpen, 2001, p. 350; H. van Daele & P. Weber, Tien Princessen, Lief en leed van de prinsessen van Laken, Tielt, 2002, p. 28; exh. cat. Nieuw licht op Leopold I & Leopold II, Het Archief Goffinet, Brussel, 1997, p. 33, no. 18 and 27.