The Heneage Jewel; The Armada Jewel
Hilliard, Nicholas
(ca. 1595 (made) - 1599)
Height: 7 cm, Width: 5.1 cm
Enamelled gold, table-cut diamonds, Burmese rubies, rock crystal and a miniature
The Heneage Jewel' or 'The Armada Jewel' was painted by Nicholas Hilliard. This locket encloses a miniature of Elizabeth I. According to tradition, the jewel was given by the queen to Sir Thomas Heneage. The reverse shows a ship holding steady on a stormy sea. It symbolises the church steered by Elizabeth through religious turmoil. The inside of the cover bears a red rose. The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England.
Inscribed: 'ELIZABETHA D.G. ANG. FRA. ET. HIB. REGINA'
(Elizabeth, by the Grace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland);
'SAEVAS. TRANQUILLA. PER. VNDAS' (Peaceful through the fierce waves);
'Hei mihi quod tanto virtus perfusa decore non habet eternos inviolata dies'
(Alas, that so much virtue suffused with beauty should not last for ever inviolate)
There is not much information on Nicholas Hilliard in out book and this intrigued me. I feel that the quality of work displayed in such a little 7cm high piece is amazing. The attention to detail, colors, jewels, and craftsmanship is what really makes this stand out. One of my favorite aspects of this is the texture displayed in the waves and current. He makes it look so real and you can feel the waves rock the ship.
What a find! This is exquisite and especially stunning when we know how small it is. I am a fan of the gold ruffle. How an artist can turn gold into three dimensions and have it appear so realistic is beyond my understanding.
ReplyDeleteThe back side of this is the most interesting to me. the details in the waves of the water look so defined, make it seem like that ship is really hittint the waters hard. the bright colors really against the golden sky background and for this to only be 7cm the amazing detail in this is really stunning
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that artists can do such works on a tiny canvas. Also the tiny ship that's all nice and calm with chaos all around it reminds me of other works like St. Anthony and the Demons or the Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci. It looks like a foreshadowing of danger that's to come or already going on.
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