An important silk embroidered miniature portrait of Charles I Third quarter 17th century, after an engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) The three-quarter length portrait portraying King Charles wearing a lace collar and the Order of the Garter worked in coloured silk threads, metal thread and satin within a laburnum frame, mounted on a later velvet display stand, the embroidered portrait: 10cm wide, 13cm high (3 1/2in wide, 5in high) (including the stand and frame: 19cm high ) Footnotes: Provenance With Alistair Sampson Ltd, exhibited Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, where bought by the previous owner in 2000. The above embroidered portrait derives from a larger formal court composition by Anthony van Dyck, depicting Charles I alongside Queen Henrietta Maria, painted in 1632. This image was subsequently engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar in 1641, facilitating its wider dissemination. Through print culture, the composition was repeatedly reproduced and circulated, enabling its adaptation into other media, including embroidery. Similar examples survive today in both public and private collections (including The Metropolitan Museum: object number 39.13.7 and the Victoria & Albert Museum: object number 812-1891), suggesting that a small but active industry emerged in response to the posthumous cult of the 'Martyr King' following the execution of Charles I in 1649. These embroidered commemorative miniatures were likely produced in workshop settings, where designs could be replicated with relative efficiency to meet sustained demand. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing