The Mary, Queen of Scots Casket

 

Introduction

This evening, I am reporting on The Mary, Queen of Scots Casket which is currently on display at the Aberdeen Art Gallery. To visit the gallery I undertook a within-the-day trip from Glasgow as reported in my blog of Nov 23rd.

Information on the Mary, Queen of Scots Casket

Firstly, here is a brief summary of the life of the famous queen (1542-1587):

Mary acceded to the Scottish crown before achieving 12 months of age. She became Queen of France, returned to Scotland to resume the crown age 18 then, joined in two failed marriages. Subsequently, she abdicated, travelled to England for sanctuary but was eventually executed there by Elizabeth I for treason. More information on Mary can be found in this blog post.

This portrait of Mary was likely commissioned by the French royal family from their court artist to commemorate the marriage of Mary and the Dauphin, future King Francis II of France. This shows a Mary of fearsome intelligence and sophistication. Vivacious, multi-lingual and a skilled lute player and poet.

 

In the absence of documentation, evidence linking the casket to Mary is conjectural. However, the item has always been venerated as a relic of the famous queen. After all, this high quality piece of French silver dates to the time of Mary who, for a period, was Queen of France.

The casket was made in Paris between 1490 and 1510. It is an extremely rare example of early Renaissance silver. It would have been used to hold jewellery, devotional objects or correspondence.

Another aspect of the casket. 

  

More information for the visitor

Please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland for information on Mary, various Scottish battles and castles. ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available via Kindle.