Original Item. Only One Available. This is a lovely WWI Bubble Frame portrait of an Imperial German soldier of the Prussian Garde, as indicated by the lovely wappen on his Pickelhaube. The Gardes du Corps (Regiment der Gardes du Corps) was the personal bodyguard of the king of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German Emperor (in German, the Kaiser). The unit was founded in 1740 by Frederick the Great. Its first commander was Friedrich von Blumenthal, who died unexpectedly in 1745; his brother Hans von Blumenthal, who, with the other officers of the regiment had won the Pour le Mérite in its first action at the battle of Hohenfriedberg, assumed command in 1747. Hans von Blumenthal was badly wounded leading the regiment in a successful cavalry charge in the battle of Lobositz and had to retire from the military.

The frame measures roughly 16 x 22” and is mounted with some modern blue cloth rope. The frame is original to the period, and the glass is fully intact, rare to see on Bubble frames.

The soldier’s Pickelhaube has a lovely horsehair plume, worn during parades, and he is wearing a large greatcoat. The soldier is not named, but we haven’t removed the back of the frame to check for one. As it is, it is a lovely display piece.

A great example, ready for further research and display.