A Gift for Luise

The two cloisonné figures, shaped as a pair of magpies, were crafted in 18th-century China during the Qianlong period (1736-1795). In Chinese art, magpies are regarded as symbols of good fortune, and as a pair, they represent marital happiness.

Count Friedrich von Luxburg acquired the pair of birds in June 1885.

It was a gift for his beloved wife, Luise. He noted in his account book: "2 Chinese birds in enamel for Luise".

Count Friedrich von Luxburg was born on 21 August 1829 in Laubegast, which is now a district of Dresden. In 1868, the lawyer was appointed President of the Government of Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg. That same year, he met Princess Luise von Schönaich-Carolath-Beuthen during a business trip between Berlin and Würzburg. She hailed from the Prussian aristocracy and had been living with Queen Augusta of Prussia (1811-1890) since 1866. As the bride's family did not deem the marriage suitable for her status, Queen Augusta acted as an intermediary. Count Friedrich and Princess Luise married on 21 September 1869 at Carolath Castle in Lower Silesia. Würzburg became the family's home, where their six sons were born between 1871 and 1885: August-Friedrich, Karl, Heinrich, Otto, Hermann, and Guido.