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The oval box having a tortoiseshell cover, mother of pearl base, silver sides,
and stand away hinge, centering a relief portrait of Charles I, within a silver piqué border
the cover interior with a Portrait of a lady, represented as the Roman Goddess Diana of the Hunt;
the portrait of Charles I in decorated armour, with plain collar, and wearing the lovelock *
over his left shoulder, the St. George of the Order of the Garter suspended on a ribbon from his neck
After the January 30th, 1649, execution of Charles I,
he was fondly recalled by great number of the population throughout the British Isles -
so much so that
when the Restoration of the Monarchy occurred in 1660, he was the last saint to be canonized by the Church of England.
Thereafter, the date of his death was retained as his saint's day as King Charles the Martyr.
In consequence of this, he had quite a following as a martyr of the Anglican Church.
Pieces such as this snuff box were commissioned to show adherence to his memory.
Additionally, portraits of the wife of Charles I, Henrietta Maria, or of the commissioners' wives,
were sometimes represented as a goddess (particularly Diana) on snuff box interior portraits.
* Lovelocks were a small lock of hair that cascaded from the crown of the head down over the left shoulder.
Lovelocks were longer than the rest of the hair and were treated as special features.
Men and some women wore lovelocks curled into a long ringlet, braided, or tied at the end with a ribbon or rosette.
Condition : Excellent ; silver, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell without damages; minor wear to the high points of silver,
as would be expected; stand away hinge good; some loss to miniature
3.25" Long
SOLD
Please Inquire
#7270
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