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The ritual by proxy was celebrated at 8 o'clock in the evening, in the chapel of the royal palace in Munich. Prince Luitpold, King Maximilian's brother, represented the bridegroom. On this occasion, too, the liturgy was complex and laborious. While the people in the square in front of the church celebrated the event with music, singing and torchlight processions, Marie Sophie, wearing a brocade dress with a long white velvet train, adorned with lace and a crown of diamonds holding her veil, walked towards the altar on the arm of her brother Ludwig. The "good Duke Max" had evidently been deemed unsuitable even for this formal occasion.

Petacco, Arrigo (1993). La Regina del Sud: amori e guerre segrete di Maria Sofia di Borbone (translated from the Italian with DeepL)

ON THIS DAY, IN 1859, DUCHESS MARIE SOPHIE IN BAVARIA MARRIED PRINCE FRANCESCO OF BOURBON-TWO SICILIES BY PROXY. They would marry again in person on 3 February. Francesco was the heir of the crown of the Two Sicilies, and became king upon the death of his father on 22 May of that year. After the Unification of Italy only two years later they were forced out of their kingdom and lived the rest of their lives in exile. They had one child, Maria Cristina, who died at three months old.

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Scarab Bracelet of Tutankhamun,

New Kingdom, late 18th Dynasty, reign of Tutankhamun, ca. 1332-1323 BC. 

The scarab bracelet of Tutankhamun is considered a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian jewelry. The rigid gold bracelet is composed of two semicircles joined together by a hinge on one side and a clasp on the other. The central plaque bears a cloisonné scarab inlaid with lapis lazuli.

The scarab, symbol of the morning sun, rebirth and protection in ancient Egyptian culture, was the most popular motif used in jewelry. The small circumference of this bracelet suggests that it was made for King Tutankhamun when he was a child.

The bracelet itself is also inlaid with carnelian, lapis lazuli, and colored glass. It was found in the cartouche shaped box that contained several other objects, including the fine pair of earrings which also seem to have been personal possessions.

In ancient Egypt, scarab bracelets were a popular form of jewelry. The scarab beetle held great significance in Egyptian culture, symbolizing rebirth and protection.

These bracelets were often made of precious materials such as gold or semi-precious stones, and they featured a scarab beetle motif. The scarab beetle was believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.

Scarab bracelets were worn by both men and women and were considered a fashionable accessory as well as a symbol of religious and spiritual beliefs.

The Egyptians adopted the scarab (Ateuchus sacer) as a symbol of the sun god, because they were familiar with the sight of the beetle rolling a ball of dung on the ground and this action suggested to them that the invisible power that rolled the sun daily across the sky could be represented pictorially as a scarab.

From the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), Valley of the Kings, West Thebes. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 62360

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Dress

c. 1807-1810

DAR Museum

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Dress (robe à la française)

First half of 18th Century - Italy

Material: Red silk and gold threads brocade with plant motif; matching stomacher and petticoat.

The Kyoto Costume Institute

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Revue de la Mode Gazette de la Famille 13 et 15, Quai Voltaire, Paris

1880 Volume 51, Plate 127

Signed: A. Chaillot

Digital Collections of the Los Angeles Public Library

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watching my promised afternoon thunderstorm slip from a 90% chance to a 20% chance.... baby come back i can change

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"We're living through the ongoing fascist collapse of the United States but I still gotta clean the kitchen and go to work tomorrow" sure is the mood right now, huh.

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Castle by the River (detail) Karl Friedrich Schinkel

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Dress

c. 1811-1814

London Museum

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Haven’t seen nearly enough people mention that Gaylinda literally cops a feel of Elphaboob here.

…

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Gold and turquoise necklace, Vicus culture, Peru, 200-400 AD

from The Museum of Fine Arts Houston

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Spring display of Mexican Gold Poppies (Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana), with some Coulter’s Lupine (Lupinus sparsiflorus) mixed in, Superstition Mountains, Arizona.

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Hungry mallard chicks running around some lotus pads.