Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art
Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art
Property of a Gentleman
A set of twelve Elizabethan polychrome decorated sycamore roundels, late 16th/early 17th century
Lot Closed
May 18, 02:14 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property of a Gentleman
A set of twelve Elizabethan polychrome decorated sycamore roundels
late 16th/early 17th century
contained in a turned beech box, each roundel centred by a verse within an gilt and foliate decorated border, the box with traces of painted decoration and with paper label to underside 'L/44/37'
each roundel 16cm. diameter; 6 1/2 in.
Thence by descent.
It is believed that roundels of this type were used as a form of entertainment in that they were placed before each guest at the end of a banquet with the plain side upwards and were used for cheese or confections. After Grace they were reversed and each verse sung or recited by the guests in turn as roundelays to the accompaniment of a lute.
A similar example can be seen illustrated in Edward H. Pinto, Treen or Small Woodware Throughout the Ages, 1949 Edition, pl. 5. Other examples can be seen in Owen Evan Thomas, Domestic Utensils of Wood XVI to XIXth Century, EP Publishing Ltd., 1976, pp. 63-67, pls.24 & 25 and Jonathan Levi, Treen for the Table, Antique Collector`s Club, 1998, pp.132-137, pls. 10/1-10/8.
A closely related set, from the The W. J. Shepherd Collection of Treen sold Sotheby's London, 30 November 1983, lot 770 and subsequently Sotheby's London, Important English Furniture, 6 June 2006, lot 228.