South German, late 15th century

Private Collection, Vienna, circa 1925
By descent to the present owner

While this sovereign is not wearing a falconer's glove, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194-1250) was an ardent falconer who lived in the 13th century and he was often depicted with a bird in one hand and a scepter in the other. Henry the Fowler (876-936), Duke of Saxony, was so named because he was allegedly fixing his birding nets when messengers arrived to inform him that he was going to be made king. The globe upon which the bird is perched signifies the monarch's sovereignty over the world.