Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a tremendous Imperial German tapestry that was taken from Schloss Friedrichshof or Kronberg Castle by then-Colonel Elton Hammond, the Chief of Signals on General George S. Patton’s Personal Staff. The castle was the home of Phillip von Hessen (Prince and Landgrave of Hess) and, during Post-World War II Occupation, was appropriated by Patton’s Third Army. It was during this period that Hammond took the tapestry.

The frame comes with a laminated sheet of history on the tapestry. The tapestry was sold by Hammond in Arlington, Virginia in 1977 to Ron Wolin, a longtime dealer of German military antiques. Wolin, a Silver Star decorated Vietnam War Navy Veteran, was then serving in the Navy as Lieutenant Commander and residing in Virginia.

The tapestry exhibits the Crown of Prince/Landgrave Hessen as well as heraldry of the various provinces within the kingdom under the sovereignty of Hesse. The tapestry has a great deal of bullion with gorgeous embroidery as well, but does show some wear and spots where the bullion is beginning to disconnect. The tapestry measures roughly 21 x 30”, and the frame measures 28 x 36½”.

This is a tremendous captured piece of Imperial German history with fantastic provenance, framed and ready for further research and display.

The Hesse Heist

This is a fantastic piece of “war booty” looted from the Kronberg Castle, but is certainly not the most significant. Princess Margaret's son Wolfgang, fearing for the family jewels, had buried them in a zinc-lined box in the sub-cellar of the castle. On 5 November 1945, the manager of the club, Captain Kathleen Nash, discovered the jewels and together with her future husband, Colonel Jack Durant, and Major David Watson, stole the treasure and took the jewels out of Germany. Many of the pieces were broken up and the gems sold separately, ruining the priceless heirlooms of the House of Hesse. In early 1946, Princess Margaret discovered the theft when the family wanted to use the jewels for the wedding of Princess Sophia who was preparing to remarry. Princess Sophia and Landgravine Margaret denounced it to the Frankfurt authorities; the culprits were imprisoned in August 1951. Major Watson was sentenced to three years, but paroled early. Captain Nash was sentenced to five years and Colonel Durant was sentenced to fifteen years. Only 10 percent of what had been stolen was recovered and returned to the Hesse family.