It’s the only object in the reconstructed rooms that has been placed in a glass case – so you can’t miss it. And it’s worth taking a closer look at the piece. It’s from the tester of the state bed – one of the original finials that has survived. The inventory lists this element under the term “Knopff” – button, or knob.
Take a moment to compare it with the two reconstructed finials now mounted on top of the tester. The appearance of the modern finials is based on what they would have looked like in 1719. But the original in the glass case was actually remodelled in the second half of the 19th century. Which was a stroke of good luck for our reconstruction work!
That’s because when it was remodelled, portions of the wall hangings, the curtains and the bed’s interior textile furnishings were used. So evidence of the gold brocade and the crimson silk velvet survived – and they had both been entirely lost in other parts of the room.
These remnants not only allowed all the technical information about the original fabrics to be recovered; they also revealed the original bright colours, which had survived exceptionally well where they were not exposed to the light. So the bed-knob became a source of evidence without which the reconstruction of the textile furnishings – in other words, the fabrics used on the bed and the wall coverings – would never have been possible.
