
Ghislaine Howard
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Sold for £5,120 inc. premium
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After the death of King Charles I in 1649, commemorative jewels in the form of pendants, rings, lockets and slides, were produced in great numbers. These jewels were worn by Royalists in memory of Charles I. A few had concealing lids, as many supporters of the Royalist cause wished to keep their allegiance secret. Some were presented by the exiled Queen Henrietta Maria to Royalist supporters in appreciation of their continuing loyalty and financial backing.
The tradition for wearing images of Stuart monarchs remained popular during times of political and religious uncertainty, periods of national mourning and also celebration, such as the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660 when they could be worn more openly. They were later used as a sign of Jacobite sympathies after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. These portrait miniatures were not painted from life but derived from earlier full-scale oil portraits. The present lot appears to derive from Sir Anthony Van Dyck's 1636 painting in the Royal Collection, showing Charles I in full ceremonial robes.