Nécessaire

In addition to its historical reference, this piece illustrates a particular savoir-faire, that of using mother-of-pearl marquetry for depicting figures. On the nécessaire’s black enamel lid, a narrative scene is depicted within a rectangle edged with a row of rose-cut diamonds. The central register depicts four riders armed with lances, three of whom also carry shields. The polychrome aspect of the scene is rendered by the nuances of the mother-of-pearl together with the yellow gold. The coats of mail worn by the figures are depicted in red and their highly stylized helmets in black. Similarly, thanks to the chromatic diversity of the mother-of-pearl, each horse is individualized by distinct coloring. In the background to the left of the composition, a fortified structure on a promontory evokes the motte-and-bailey castle of Rennes. In the upper part of this central register, the inscription describing the scene is partially transcribed: “hic milites willelmi dvcis pvgnant contra dinantes.”¹“Here Duke William’s soldiers fight against the men of Dinan.” Above and below this scene are bands containing chimeric creatures, as in medieval embroidery. Lastly, an interlaced design set with diamonds against a red enamel ground decorates the left and right edges of the nécessaire, while a pearl indicates the position of the clasp.