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Drawings Gold enamelled jewel with military attributes

Object number

LDSAL2020.34.20

Artist/Designer/Maker

Theobald, J - Artist

Production date

Circa 1775

Material

Paper
Pen
Ink

Technique

Drawing
Writing (Processes)
Handwriting

Dimensions

Height: 165mm
Width: 195mm

Inscriptions

Inscription content

A Jewel in the Possession of -----
shown to ye Antiquary Society. April 17: 1755
by John Lock Esq.

Inscription content

J Theobald delin.

Inscription content

This Jewell is made of fine Gold enamelled, on the top is a Small Pennon under which is a Chaplet of Olive or Myrtle which runs behind the Man & reaches as low as his middle, over it a Coronet, set wth Diamonds & Rubies. The Man has a Hat, turned up before & a Diamond Button in þe Front, he has a Scarfe on his Arm & another over his Shoulder which flows behind him, also a Belt in whc hangs his Sword, naked, as well as that in his Hand. his Habit is Military, tho without Armour, a Shield on his Left Arm, he treads on a Lyon...

References

Reference (free text)

Hugh Tait, Catalogue of the Waddesdon Bequest in the British Museum 3 vols (London: British Museum Publications, 1986- ), 1: 94-6. Illustrations, figs. 83 and 84, pp. 94-5. Figure 84 is a reproduction of this drawing. Tait identifies the object in the drawing as the early 17th-century hat jewel now in Sir John Soane's Museum, London. It was purchased by Sir John Soane in 1833 from Mrs Barnes's sale at Redland, Bristol. Tait points out the significance of the drawing in establishing what the jewel looked like before considerable restoration work, and also in exposing the myths that have grown up around it subsequent to its exhibition at the Society of Antiquaries in 1755, eg., that it belonged to Charles I and was captured at the Battle of Naseby in 1645.