OF ROYAL/HISTORICAL INTEREST - A small and rare Queen Anne hatchment frame Circa 1710, later adapted for use as a mirror The later plate within a frame of lozenge outline, encompassed by a scrolled stylised foliate carved ovolo surround, with a high relief acanthus border, the upper parts of the outer surround embellished with two projecting foliate and scroll work adorned opposing Royal crowns, the lower parts of the border with conforming projecting embellishments and the Royal cypher: 'AR' ('Anne Regina'), probably originally gilded but since re-decorated or re-gilt, 49.5cm high x 49.5cm wide. Footnotes: The offered lot is a charming and somewhat idiosyncratic frame which would have most likely originally been used to display a hatchment panel. Typically hatchments, although of identical lozenge (or diamond) form, are much larger in size than the one which might have been encompassed by the present surround. However, examples of this diminutive type can also be found; most often located inside churches in England, but also to be seen across much of Northern Europe, particularly the Low Countries and Germany. Hatchments are painted works executed on either canvas or panel which denote specific important or noble familial coats of arms; each usually created as an historic act of heraldic commemoration on behalf of a member (or descendant) of the same family. As a result of this funerary connotation, ordinarily the frames for the larger form of panels are plain and ebonised ones in recognition of their original purpose. It is interesting to note that the more compact models appear to frequently accompany other panels, perhaps suggesting that such hatchments were used to celebrate some form of union between two families, whether through marriage or even in reference to mutual religio-political association or affiliation. The above highly decorative and beautifully carved frame with its clear reference to the then ruling monarch, Queen Anne, seems to be a perfect example of this other far less sombre type. The Royal cypher: 'A.R' ('Anna Regina'), which is carved to the lower half of the offered surround and flanks what would have been the hatchment panel but is now the mirror glass set within it, dates this piece to the reign of Queen Anne, who ruled between 1702 and 1714. The Queen Anne period is a fascinating one and not only because it was the time during which the last Stuart monarch ruled England, Scotland and Ireland. It was also very much a transitional era in the visual arts between the late Baroque of the Restoration period and the more classically inspired or Palladian taste of the early Georgian epoch. The pair of carved Royal crowns projecting outwards from the upper part of the present frame, again flanking what would have originally been the central inset panel, undoubtedly serve as a reference to the 1707 Acts of Union. This historic legislation, which was ratified by both the national parliaments of England and Scotland, created what we now refer to as the United Kingdom through the 'political' enjoining of these two nations to form one larger nation state. Essentially this union established Great Britain with its parliament based in Westminster palace, ruled over by Queen Anne. The historic Royal nations of England and Scotland are represented on this frame by their respective crowns, but now both are visibly governed by 'Anna Regina', as indicated thereupon by the bold presence of this cypher. References www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/hatchments www.britannica.com/topic/hatchment //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing