By Ruth A. Hill
Marjorie Merriweather Post and Elizabeth Taylor probably never met, but if they had, their mutual love of eye-popping jewels would have given them plenty to talk about.
"Big girls need big diamonds," Taylor once said, and the world watched her live out her own decree.
Post also collected eye-popping gems and favored the artistry of famed French jeweler Cartier. As the daughter of cereal company founder C.W. Post, and wife of several wealthy and well-placed husbands, Marjorie lived out her own tale of diamonds and privilege. Though Taylor's gem collection has fragmented on the auction block, Post's dazzling baubles — and a lot else from her lavish lifestyle — are on display at one of the national capital's "off the usual touring grid" stops many visitors and locals miss.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens is a stunning stop anytime, but Post's special jewel collection exhibit offers more reasons to see now how the heiress, art collector, businesswoman, social figure and philanthropist lived in the heart of the nation's political power seat.
"Cartier: Marjorie Merriweather Post's Dazzling Gems" recalls Post's patronage of the Parisian jeweler that began in the 1920s and continued throughout her life. She was a dedicated collector of objects that reflected her passion for fine craftsmanship, historical significance and splendor.
An exotic brooch made of seven carved Indian emeralds is one exhibit showstopper, along with its companion emerald necklace and a 21-carat Colombian emerald ring that Post wore for her presentation to the court of St. James's in 1929 — and gave to the Smithsonian Institution in 1964. The jewels sparkle amid portrait paintings, photos and dresses that also adorned the woman who had a regal bearing and attitude rather like that of Catherine the Great and Marie Antoinette, whom Post admired. In fact, a 1919 issue of Vanity Fair declared her "unsurpassable as Marie Antoinette."
Post asked Cartier to design other luxury items for her that reflected her personal taste as well as the style and elegance of the 1920s and '30s. Included are gem-studded picture frames, tobacco jars and a dresser set featuring her monogram.
But Hillwood offers much more elegance and art beyond the current Cartier exhibit in its permanent display. Post bought her 36-room Hillwood home in 1955 and set out to create a museum that would inspire and educate the public long after her 1973 death. She used it as a gathering place for the capital's power elite and celebrities from Hollywood, and the art world. When she wasn't in her capital residence, she lived in her Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago (now owned by Donald Trump) or at her retreat in New York's Adirondacks, a popular summertime destination favored by her wealthy Gilded Age forerunners.
Hillwood's permanent collection contains one of the largest arrays of Russian imperial art outside Russia. Among about 80 works by Carl Faberge are two imperial Easter eggs, a gold chalice with diamonds, and a selection of ornate Russian Orthodox icons and religious objects Post collected in the 1930s when she lived in Russia with her third husband and U.S. ambassador Joseph E. Davies. Included are a diamond-encrusted crown worn by the Empress Alexander in her wedding to Nicholas II, a collection of chalices and numerous enamel objects.
The estate's 18th-century French decorative art includes furnishings, tapestries and porcelain in the mansion's magnificent French drawing room that looks as if it belongs in a yesteryear palace.
Besides the breathtaking decorative arts inside Hillwood's Georgian-style mansion that preserves a livable ambience, there are 25 acres of landscaped gardens and natural woodlands to enjoy. Azaleas, roses, peonies, tulips and Post's beloved orchids are in the array of more than 2,000 specimens. The estate is an oasis of manicured horticultural refinement and elegance any time of year, and the gardens are at peak in spring and fall.
After garden and mansion tours, visitors may relax in Hillwood's cafe and terrace, where lunch and tea are served Tuesday through Saturday.
WHEN YOU GO
The Hillwood Estate near Rock Creek Park in northwest Washington, D.C., is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and selected Sundays. Concerts, workshops, lectures and special events are on the estate's calendar year 'round. Post's jewelry exhibition is open through December: www.hillwoodmuseum.org.
Ruth A. Hill is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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