Saturday, June 8, 2013

Unusual Artifacts: Left hand of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales



Left hand of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
Later King Edward VII
1862-1876
Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm
The Victoria & Albert Museum


This curious object is a plaster cast of the left hand of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII, r. 1901-1910), the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It was made in England between 1862-1876 by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-1890). This item was given to the V&A by executors of the sculptor’s estate in 1892 along with a series of casts of hands of notable persons.

Boehm created a number of works associated with the Prince of Wales, perhaps most notably the monumental sculpture of the Prince on horseback which was erected in 1879 in Bombay, India. This casting shows exact detail of the Prince’s left hand, including a ring on the third finger.


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