Cast of the Hand of Brazilian Emperor Pedro II

Brazilian Emperor Pedro II ruled from 1831 – 1889. He was the last emperor in power before Brazil became a republic. This image captures two bronze hand molds taken of Pedro II’s right hand in the early nineteenth century. The one on the left was taken by Marc Ferrez, and the one on the right was created by Antonio Joaquim de Azevedo. Both feature a ring that Pedro II wore on his index finger. It currently belongs to the collections of the Museu Histórico Nacional in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.