Jewellery and precious objects in the formation of Habsburg family relationships: Anne of Bohemia and Hungary (1503–1547) and her inventories.

This article focuses on the jewellery collection of Queen Anne of Bohemia and Hungary (1503–1547), wife of Ferdinand I of Austria, examining its origins, composition, and role within Habsburg family and European elite networks during the Renaissance. Based on four surviving inventories and related documents, the study reveals how Anne assembled an extensive and valuable collection through inheritance, gifts, and purchases, which served both as symbols of dynastic identity and as financial assets. After Anne’s death, her jewellery was distributed among her children and allied noble families, reinforcing political alliances and family bonds. The collection’s quality and significance are contextualized through comparisons with other prominent Habsburg women’s treasuries, highlighting Anne’s cultural influence despite her relatively private role. The article underscores the importance of jewellery in dynastic self-presentation and the maintenance of social and political networks in sixteenth-century Europe.