CIRCA 1660, ELEMENTS OF THE FRAME LATER

Details

A CHARLES II STUMPWORK AND TORTOISESHELL DRESSING-MIRROR
CIRCA 1660, ELEMENTS OF THE FRAME LATER
The later rectangular bevelled plate within a tortoiseshell slip, the frame inset with paired portraits of Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria beneath canopies and above the Royal unicorn and lion, the corners with portraits of Charles II and his siblings Mary, Princess of Orange, Henrietta, Duchess of Orléans and the Duke of York within oval wreaths, the top and base with allegorical figures representing Peace and Plenty and with fruiting trees, the Tudor rose and French lily, worked in silk and metallic threads and applied with seed pearls, mica and lace on a silk ground, the reverse with a paper label inscribed The Property of Reginald Astley or Mrs. I.R. Milius, the frame previously with easel support
24¼ x 22½ in. (61.5 x 57 cm.) overall

Provenance

Reginald Astley or Mrs. I.R. Milius.
Anonymous sale, Christie's New York, 16 October 1998, lot 230.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

This silk-embroidered mirror represents a fine example of English needlework of the second half of the 17th century. Its fresh colours, and delicate workmanship combined with superb state of preservation make it a rare survival of the Stuart period. Although many examples depict members of the royal family and aristocratic figures, most are generalized representations of the king and queen. It is unusual to find so many particular members of the royal family on a single work, as well as two sovereigns. Two such mirrors depicting Charles II and Catherine of Braganza and one depicting Charles I and his consort are in the collection of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, illustrated in X. Brooke, Catalogue of Embroideries, Bath, 1992, pp. 190-192; another formerly in the collection of the noted connoisseur Percival Griffiths and now in the Burrell Collection, Glasgow, is illustrated in L. Arthur, Embroidery 1600-1700 at the Burrell Collection, London, 1995, p. 69, fig. 45.

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