The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia by Daniel Arrhakis (2023)

Dona Maria Amélia (French: Marie Amélie Louise Hélène; 28 September 1865 – 25 October 1951) was the last Queen consort of Portugal as the wife of Carlos I of Portugal.
She was regent of Portugal during the absence of her spouse in 1895.

She was the eldest daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris and Princess Marie Isabelle d'Orléans, and a "Princess of Orléans" by birth.

On 22 May 1886, Amélia married Carlos, Prince Royal of Portugal. He was the eldest son of King Luís I of Portugal and Maria Pia of Savoy.

As queen, however, Amelia played a very important role. With her elegance and cultured character, she influenced the Portuguese court.
Interested in eradicating the evils of the time, such as poverty and tuberculosis, she founded dispensaries, sanatoriums, economic kitchens and daycare centers, thus demonstrating her interest in the well-being of the Portuguese population.
However, his best-known works are the foundations of the Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos (in 1892); the Royal Coach Museum (1905); the Pasteur Institute in Portugal (Instituto Câmara Pestana) and the National Assistance for Tuberculosis.

On 1 February 1908, the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They traveled in the royal train to Barreiro and from there took a boat to cross the Tagus River.

They disembarked at Cais das Colunas in the principal square of downtown Lisbon, the Terreiro do Paço.
On their way to the Palace of Necessidades, while crossing the square and turning to the street, several shots were fired from the crowd by at least two men, among others.
The King died immediately, his heir Prince Dom Luís was mortally wounded and Infante Dom Manuel was hit in the arm, yet Queen Amélie surprisingly unharmed trying to defend her youngest son, the new king Manuel II, with the flower bouquet she kept in her hand.

Her reaction at the time of the regicide was to brandish the bouquet of flowers she was carrying in her hand and shout at one of the regicides to back down, an image that made the covers of newspapers across Europe.

The regicide of 1908 plunged her into deep grief, from which D. Amélia never fully recovered. She then retired to the Palácio da Pena, in Sintra, without ceasing, however, to try to support, by all means, her young son, King D. Manuel II.

Manuel II of Portugal was deposed by a military coup, later known as the 5 October 1910 revolution, which resulted in the establishment of the Portuguese First Republic. Queen Amélie left Portugal with the rest of the royal family, embarks in Ericeira on the yacht Amélia, heading for Gibraltar.

She lived decades of suffering in exile, between England and France. During the Second World War the Portuguese government of Salazar invited her to return to Portugal, but she declined the offer replying “In my misfortune, France welcomed me, I will not abandon her in her misfortune”.

She visited Portugal for the last time in 1945. In 1951 at the time of her death, her last words were “Take me to Portugal”. She is buried in the Bragança pantheon, in São Vicente de Fora.

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In the midst of this tragedy, I decided to create a collection of porcelain roosters in her honor. Whether it exists or not will remain in the secret of History and Stories.

In France since ancient times, the rooster has appeared on Gallic coins and it became a symbol of Gaul and the Gauls.
But also in Portugal since the Middle Ages, with emphasis on the medieval legend of the Rooster of Barcelos.

The rooster is also considered the symbol of Portugal, both because of its rusticity, representing our countryside and because it is traditionally associated with positive things and virtues.
You can find it on many facades of secular churches in Portugal.

Queen Dona Amélia had a very special adoration for porcelain roosters and throughout her life in Portugal between the Palaces of Pena and Vila Viçosa, many evenings were spent drawing and painting , like King D. Carlos.
Her roosters drawn and painted by her were later reproduced by great Portuguese ceramists as unique pieces that were then part of her extensive collection and one of Queen Dona Amélia's best kept secrets.
"My Beautiful Baroque Roosters" as she called them were left behind at the Pena Palace, after her departure into exile, with the exception of a few specimens, which she took on the Dona Amélia Yacht on her initial trip to Gibraltar.

With time and the vicissitudes of the revolutionary times of the First Republic, Queen Dona Amélia's collection of Portuguese Baroque Roosters disappeared without a trace, until today when I present you a glimpse into this collection created in dreams...

Each Rooster has the name of a Portuguese municipality or locality.

I hope you like it ! : )

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The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia - The Pumpkin Rooster of Lourinhã by Daniel Arrhakis (2023)

"The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia" Is a creative series and tribute of Porcelain Roosters based in Portugal traditions and stories created by Daniel Arrhakis. Sculptured elements created with Artificial Intelligence and other digital art techniques.
Each Rooster has the name of a Portuguese municipality or locality.


The sculptures can be reproduced by ceramic artists and sculptors if they wish, just send an email to arrhakis@gmail.com or quintarhode@gmail.com

© All Rights Reserved

The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia - The Rooster Of Avis by Daniel Arrhakis (2023)

"The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia" Is a creative series and tribute of Porcelain Roosters based in Portugal traditions and stories created by Daniel Arrhakis. Sculptured elements created with Artificial Intelligence and other digital art techniques.
Each Rooster has the name of a Portuguese municipality or locality.


The sculptures can be reproduced by ceramic artists and sculptors if they wish, just send an email to arrhakis@gmail.com or quintarhode@gmail.com

© All Rights Reserved

The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia - The Rooster Of Coimbra by Daniel Arrhakis (2023)


"The Baroque Portuguese Roosters - The Missing Porcelain Collection of Queen Dona Amélia" Is a creative series and tribute of Porcelain Roosters based in Portugal traditions and stories created by Daniel Arrhakis. Sculptured elements created with Artificial Intelligence and other digital art techniques.
Each Rooster has the name of a Portuguese municipality or locality.


The sculptures can be reproduced by ceramic artists and sculptors if they wish, just send an email to arrhakis@gmail.com or quintarhode@gmail.com

© All Rights Reserved