Cf. Diana Scarisbrick, Ancestral Jewels, Andre Deutsch, 1989, p.131
Large bow-knot or sévigneé brooches were popular from the second half of the seventeenth century onwards and were worn as bodice ornaments. By the 19th century these formal court jewels had largely been replaced by more naturalistic bows of smaller dimensions. The example offered here is of impressive proportions and is likely to have been made for ceremonial occasions when the Duchess was required to wear formal robes. It is a rare survival and is reminiscent of the equally large Newcastle Bow-Knot.