BRITISH SCHOOL (18th century)

Portrait enamel of of King Charles I (1600-1649), the double-sided enamelled copper plaque, depicting a portrait of King Charles I to one side, counter-enamel with royal cipher 'CR' surmounted with a crown and enclosed by martyr's palms


Oval, 20mm (0.8inches) high
Mounted in gold locket, later leather presentation box from D.S. Lavender Antiques

RESERVED

This double-sided memorial to the executed King Charles I is one of a handful to survive. Other examples can be found in museums, such as the V&A and British Museum. The palm fronds show that it was made after the King's execution in January of 1649.
Such tokens of loyalty and commemoration were also commissioned by Queen Henrietta Maria, on her return from the Netherlands in 1642, where she had been raising funds for the royalist army. She distributed inexpensive rings, lockets and slides with the king’s portrait to supporters who lent money. After his death, Charles I’s portrait was worn by royalists on many jewels, especially rings, but, before the Restoration in 1660, the portrait was sometimes concealed from prying parliamentary eyes under a flap or inside a locket. His execution was seen by his most fervent supporters as a sacrilegious act. In 1662, following the restoration of the monarchy, a service was added to the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England to commemorate the anniversary of his execution, ‘the day of the Martyrdom of the Blessed King Charles the First’.
A similar (damaged) example, using the same green ground as the present example (but without the decorative black pattern around the edge) was sold Bonhams, London, 'Knightsbridge Jewels',
21 November 2024, lot 30 (£12,800).

Bibliographic references
Bury, Shirley, Jewellery Gallery Summary Catalogue, V&A museum (London, 1982),
Scarisbrick, Diana, Jewellery in Britain 1066-1837. A documentary, literary, social and artistic survey (Wilby, Norwich, 1994)
Phillips, Clare, Jewels & Jewellery (London, 2000, revised edn., 2008)
Dicks, Sophia, The King’s Blood: Relics of Charles I , exhibition catalogue, at Wartski, London, 2010
Lincoln, Margarette, ed. Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution. Catalogue of the exhibition held 20 November 2015 - 28 March 2016 at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. London: Thames and Hudson, 2015. ISBN 9780500518144
Purchased during the 1960s from DS Lavender (Antiques) Ltd (Fine Jewels Miniatures & Works of Art, 154 Grafton Street);
Thence by descent.
 
 

shipping notice

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer .

HeaderLogo
Portrait enamel of of King Charles I (1600-1649), the double-sided enamelled copper plaque, depicting a portrait of King Charles I to one side, counter-enamel with royal cipher 'CR' surmounted with a crown and enclosed by martyr's palms

BRITISH SCHOOL

Portrait enamel of of King Charles I (1600-1649), the double-sided enamelled copper plaque, depicting a portrait of King Charles I to one side, counter-enamel with royal cipher 'CR' surmounted with a crown and enclosed by martyr's palms

This field is mandatory

 

shipping notice

The item added to cart contains materials from endangered or protected species. The Limner Company cannot arrange for the delivery of artworks containing ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl outside of the UK due to import restrictions. The buyer or designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale.

You are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of any items made from or containing certain endangered or protected species (such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl), while other countries will require a permit (e.g. a CITES licence). Such permits must be obtained from the relevant regulatory body in both the country of importation and exportation. If you intend to import such items into another country you should familiarise yourself with the relevant customs regulations and laws before purchase. Delays or refusal of import or export of such works shall not permit cancellation of a sale. It is your responsibility to satisfy any laws or regulations applying to the import or export of any work containing such protected species. For further information on the protected species listed please visit the CITES website:http://www.cites.org/. For further information about import and export regulations please visit:http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/imports-exports/cites/. On request, the Company can assist with or apply for a license on your behalf.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options..

checkout details

Your basket exceeds the allowed online transaction limit of £10,000. Please remove an item from your basket to continue to checkout. Successive online sales totalling £10,000 are also prohibited. Please get in touch if you would like to move forward with the purchase in accordance with anti-money laundering regulation.


Under the terms of the anti-money laundering regulation we are required to conduct customer due diligence (CDD) on all sales of works of art over £10,000 before the transaction is carried out. While therefore we may agree to such a sale in principle, we will not be able to conclude (i.e. receive funds, give up possession or transfer title) it until we have received all the necessary CDD information from you and have been able to verify it as required by the regulation.

shipping TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations. Please contact us to discuss shipping options. Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options.

you may also like