Maharaja's Extravagant $3M Banquet Service On Display In Germany's Faberge Museum
The Maharaja of Patiala was known for many things (like officially fathering 88 kids!), but is especially remembered for his lavish and extravagant tastes — especially the "Patiala Necklace" Cartier made using almost 3,000 diamonds. It only makes sense that his dining preferences reflected this, especially his banquet service which was crafted by the England's leading gold and silversmiths. If you want to take a look at this record-breaking collection yourself, the set is now on display at the Faberge Museum in Germany.
According to Art Daily, the museum paid $2.9M for the service in July 2013 at a Christie's auction in London. Back in the Maharaja's time, this dining collection accommodated 200 people on 40 different types of items (which totaled 1,500 pieces). According to the museum, "the service is the finest made in England in this period, which was the twilight of the era of Faberge." It breaks many records, including the largest banquet (and royal) service in the world, the biggest English service ever made, and the most expensive gold-plated silver service in the world.
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Originally the collection was packed away in 12 huge trunks and was first used in 1922 for a state dinner the Maharaja organized for the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) while he was visiting India.
Altogether, everything weighs around 1,322 pounds, so you can bet it took quite the manpower to even set it out for company. Sometimes it was actually sent back to the English court for use, because it was the only dining set able to plate 200 people — though each time it returned with a few less pieces thanks to guests who kept souvenirs.