Metal | Helmet and Shield for the White Rose Festival

The helmet and shield from the holdings of the Foundation Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg were restored for an exhibition. The items were part of the elaborate costumes worn by the guests at the festival "Der Zauber der weißen Rose", given in 1829 in honour of Alexandra Feodorowna's 31st birthday.

Bild von Helm und Schild für das Fest der Weißen Rose
Helm und Schild stammen von Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Preußen, dem Anführer der siebenten Quadrille. Auf dem Fest repräsentierte er das Haus „Hohenzollern“. Vor ihm wurde das Hohenzollernsche Pannier getragen, hinter ihm folgten zwei Pagen, von denen einer den Schild trug. Nach den Pagen ritten vier Ritter, zuletzt kamen vier Knappen.
Der Kalottenhelm mit einem Kronenreif und einer Zimier in Form eines schwarz-silbern gevierteten Löwenkopfes.
Vorderansicht des Schildes, das aus vier verlöteten, feuerverzinnten Stahlblechen besteht. Stern und Devise sind aufgemalt und blattvergoldet. Am Rand befinden sich Zierniete aus Messing.
Period:
–
Type:
Teaching project
Student project
Profile:
Design ∙ Build ∙ Preserve
Organisational Unit:
Course:
Cooperation partners:

Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin Brandenburg

Publication: Power and Friendship: Berlin - St. Petersburg 1800-1860. Berlin 2008
Project duration: Summer semester 2008 to summer semester 2009

Brief description of the project

Helmet and shield from the holdings of the Foundation Palaces and Gardens Berlin-Brandenburg were to be restored for an exhibition. The objects are part of the elaborately crafted costumes made for the festival "Der Zauber der weißen Rose". The celeebration was given on 13 July 1829 in honour of Alexandra Feodorowna's 31st birthday. As she was the wife of Tsar Nicholas I, this historical event was included in the exhibition "Macht und Freundschaft. Berlin - St. Petersburg 1800 – 1860", which took place in 2008 in the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin. Parts of the festival were a "Carrousel", which was publicly ridden with quadrilles in knights' costumes on the square in front of the Neues Palais, and various equestrian tournaments. The 90 helmets and 50 shields as well as large parts of the equipment for the costumes of the royal princes and their entourage, who performed in ten quadrilles of twelve riders each, were made by the Berlin company Thielemann. The helmet and shield were made by Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig of Prussia, who represented the House of Hohenzollern as leader of the seventh quadrille. The objects are made of hot-dip tinned, 0.5 mm thick sheet steel (tinplate). The dome helmet is encircled by a gilded crown ring. The lateral wing stumps originally had black feathers. As a cimier, a lion's head made of carved, painted and silver leafed wood is attached to the helmet. The shield is made of four soldered plates and bears a golden star with seven canted rays in the centre. The surface is filled by the motto "Mein Herz wendet sich dahin wo sein Licht leuchtet" executed in gold lettering.

Essential points of the measures

  • Dry cleaning with brushes - mechanical thinning of the crusts of corrosion products and subsequent cleaning with ethanol
  • Cleaning the gilding with cotton swabs and distilled water with added surfactant
  • Securing the remains of coatings with synthetic resin (Paraloid B72)
  • Bonding and stabilisation of cracked solder seams - Conservation of metal parts with protective wax Aero 46

Project support

Project support

Dipl.-Rest. Eva Laabs
Workshop Manager Conservation and Restoration – Metal

Project management

Students

  • Benjamin Glasberger
  • Corinna Krömer