Exceptional women

A finely executed enamel pendant circa 1700, depicting Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV and Saint Teresa of Avila. Both Anne of Austria and St. Teresa are widely regarded as being exceptionally formidable and strong women, though they exercised their power in entirely different spheres of life.

Born Infanta of Spain, Anne grew up deeply immersed in the fervent Catholicism of the Spanish court, which revered St. Teresa of Ávila. As a young queen in France, Anne brought this Spanish devotion with her, becoming a primary protector and benefactor of the Carmelite order in France. Following 23 years of childlessness Anne finally gave birth to an heir, Louis XIV in 1638. When Louis XIII died in 1643, the boy was only four years old and Anne’s life became a masterclass in quiet power. To bypass the late king’s attempts to establish a limited council, Anne allied with the Parlement de Paris and Cardinal Mazarin to assume sovereign authority.

St Teresa of Avila was one of the most significant women of 16th century Spain and the most influential figure in the whole order of Carmel. Nun, mystic, reformer, she became a canonised saint and first woman Doctor of the Church. Teresa founded the convent of St. Joseph’s Avila and after that sixteen other convents throughout Spain. The encounter between St. Teresa and an angel, known as the Transverberation, was one of the most famous mystical visions in Catholic history. In her writings Teresa described the angel as being physically small, remarkably beautiful and appearing to be made entirely of fire. She recounted that the angel held a long golden spear tipped with fire and plunged it into her heart several times, penetrating to her innermost core. It was an experience of both immense pain and divine ecstasy. Her vision inspired religious art, most notably Bernini’s sculpture, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, which is housed in the Santa Maria della Vittoria church in Rome.

On this pendant Anne is depicted with a golden urn on her breast, a heart reliquary, relating to St. Theresa. The pendant measures 1 and 1/4 inches by 1 and 1/4 inches excluding pendant loop. A beautifully executed depiction of exceptional women.

£2900
Item ref : FT3

Saint Teresa

Anne of Austria

Anne of Austria with Louis XIII and Louis XIV

The transverberation of St. Teresa

Bernini’s St. Teresa