Circa 1830. Tall black bearskin cap, the fur with hide drawn over an internal wooden frame, front with short black leather visor, complete with all fittings. Front emblem featuring the large flaming grenade in gilt brass mounted on a shield with radial pattern, on the flaming grenade applied in genuine silver the "Royal coats of arms of the United Kingdom" in the form of 1816-37, surrounded by the motto “Nec aspera terrent”, above the crown with striding crowned lion, left and right held by the lion and the unicorn, these connected with the motto ribbon with the device “Dieu et mon droit”, above and below the honor bandeaux “Peninsula” and “Waterloo”. Large domed brass scale chains on large silver stars with the device “numquam retrorsum” (Never backward) and Saint George slaying the dragon in the center. At the front top the braided white cord with white mirror plates. The top of the fur cap in red cloth with the large Royal crown applied in gilt bronze and below in silver the "Leaping Horse" of Hanover. The fur cap interior with a black leather sweatband and beige silk lining. Size approximately 56. Overall height approximately 38 cm. Accompanied by the old inventory number from the armory of Schloss Marienburg. Very beautifully preserved! Condition 2.

Very rare and of museum significance!

The Garde-Grenadier-Regiment was formed after the re-establishment of the Hanoverian Army in 1816 from former members of the "King's German Legion" and thus veterans of the Napoleonic Wars. The bearskin cap was introduced around 1820 and worn until 1849. From 1840 onwards, however, only for parade.

Only a few examples have survived, particularly for officers. Another example is located in the Historisches Museum Hannover. The present piece originates from the Welf castle Marienburg and was sold at the Sotheby's auction in October 2005.

460005

Kingdom of Hanover Bearskin Cap for an Officer of the Garde-Grenadier-Regiment from the Period of King George IV or William IV

This magnificent bearskin cap of an officer from the Guard Grenadier Regiment of the Kingdom of Hanover embodies a remarkable epoch in European military history, when personal unions between royal houses and the reorganization of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars determined the fate of entire nations. Created around 1830 during the reign of King George IV (1820-1830) or William IV (1830-1837), this ceremonial masterpiece represents the golden age of the Hanoverian Guard.

Following Napoleon's defeat and the elevation of the Electorate of Hanover to a Kingdom at the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), a new Hanoverian Army was established in 1816. The Guard Grenadier Regiment formed a particularly elite unit, as it was composed of veterans of the King's German Legion, which had served with the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. These battle-hardened soldiers had proven themselves in the era's most demanding campaigns, particularly in the Peninsular War on the Iberian Peninsula and at the decisive Battle of Waterloo.

The introduction of the bearskin cap in 1826 not only honored the regiment's military achievements but also symbolized the power of the House of Welf. The imposing headgear, standing approximately 38 centimeters tall, followed the model of similar uniforms worn by elite grenadier units, particularly the French Imperial Guard. The black bearskin was stretched over an internal wooden frame structure and fitted with a short black leather visor.

The cap's rich ornamentation reflects the complex political constellation of the period. The personal union between Great Britain and Hanover, whereby both realms were ruled by the same monarch, is strikingly manifested in the emblems: the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom in its 1816-1837 form, executed in genuine silver, is mounted on a gilded flaming grenade. The Latin and French mottoes “Nec aspera terrent”, “Dieu et mon droit”, and “Numquam retrorsrum” (Never backwards) testify to the international orientation of the Hanoverian monarchy. The battle honour scrolls “Peninsula” and “Waterloo” commemorate the glorious battles of the King's German Legion.

The red cloth cap top bears the large gilded royal crown and beneath it the silver leaping horse of Hanover, the kingdom's heraldic animal. The large brass scale chains are attached to silver stars depicting Saint George slaying the dragon—another symbol of chivalric virtues. The white braided cord with white mirrors at the top front completes the splendid appointments.

The officer corps of the Guard Grenadier Regiment recruited primarily from the nobility, as was customary for all Hanoverian Guard and cavalry regiments of the era. The bearskin cap was initially worn for all ceremonial occasions, but from 1840 its use was restricted to parade duties. In 1849, the imposing headgear was finally removed entirely from uniform regulations.

The history of the Kingdom of Hanover ended abruptly in 1866 when Prussia annexed the territory following the Austro-Prussian War, dissolving the independent Hanoverian Army. This specific bearskin cap originated from the armory of Schloss Marienburg, the Welf residence built between 1858 and 1869. The castle housed a significant collection of military-historical objects from the Hanoverian monarchy. In October 2005, the collection of the Royal House of Hanover was auctioned at Sotheby's, with approximately 20,000 objects in 5,000 lots realizing over 40 million euros. This auction was controversial among art historians and museologists.

Today only very few examples of these bearskin caps survive, with officer's patterns being extremely rare. Another example is preserved in the Historisches Museum Hannover. The present cap, with its complete original fittings and documented provenance from the Welf collection, therefore possesses extraordinary museum significance and impressively documents the splendor and representational culture of a vanished German kingdom.