Lot 117
  • 117

A Charles II beadwork and silk picture, 17th century

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • beads, silk
  • 42cm. wide, 34cm. high; 16 1/2in., 13in. (framed)

Provenance

Sotheby's New York, Important English and European Furniture, Sculpture, Porcelain and Carpets, 23 May 2012, lot 513

Condition

This is a charming textile panel. The glass bead motifs are in relief, especially the corner animals. The glass beadwork is in very good condition overall. The faces and shoulders of both figures are opaque glass, the hands and arms, are possible replacements, as the surface is different, and there are silk threads visible around the base of the left arm of the lady (hand holding flowers), and there is possibly glue residue to beads above the left hand of the male (the hand peeping out from the cloak - without arm visible). There are some losses, for example to the bow trims to the cloak and shoes of the male figure, as visible in the photograph. Some of the tiny blue beads are present along the lower edge of the box frame (having fallen off). There are some tiny stitches to the silk satin ground, in area lower right of grass supporting female figure, and the area just left of lion's head in lower right corner. There is some shadowing and minor wear and minor split, in area around the male figure, as visible in the photograph to the left of his arm and head, and right of his head above the cloak. There is velvet ribbon trim around the edges. It is mounted within a glazed boxed, ebonised frame, and the panel is mounted against another textile panel, visible at the right hand and left hand side especially. Being a box frame allows for the relief motifs to be protected. The charm of glass beads is that they keep their colour.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This vibrant and intricate beadwork picture, depicting a late 17th century couple amongst exotic fauna and flowering flora, belongs to a well-established group of pictures made from the 1660s through the early 1680s around the restoration of the monarch of Charles II. Many of these pictures depict Royal figures such as Charles II with his consort Catherine of Braganza, biblical figures such as King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba as well as Adam and Eve, and couples about to be married.  Beadwork, because of its fragile nature, is one of the rarer survivals of the decorative arts to have survived from the latter half of the 17th century. The coloured glass beads naturally retain their original strong hues, most of the surviving articles being in the form of pictures and baskets.  For a beadwork basket depicting Charles II and Catherine of Braganza with allegories of the Four Continents, see, A. Morrall and M. Watt, eds., English Embroidery from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1580-1700: 'Twixt Art and Nature', New Haven and London, 2008, pp. 134-5, fig. 13-13a; exhibition at The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture, December 11, 2008-April 12, 2009.  For other beadwork/needlework pictures depicting a similar subject, Morrall and Watts, op. cit. nos. 27, 55 and 56. pp. 163, 216, 217, 219. For a number of related beadwork pictures, see also Xanthe Brooke, The Lady Lever Art Gallery Catalogue of Embroideries, Phoenix Mill, Gloucestershire, 1992, nos. LL5272, LL5276, LL5257, LL5264, LL5341, LL5342, LL5343.