The late Victorian to Edwardian period plaster cast armorial showing the Royal Coat of Arms with unicorn and lion and Latin “Honi soit qui mal y pense” and “Dieu et mon droit” referring to the divine right of the Monarch to govern, survives as a beautiful decorative element.
Unknown.
Coats of arms such as this are more commonly found in polychromed and carved wood, gesso, or cast iron. This may have been a maquette for such other examples. The Latin is of course the motto of the English chivalric Order of the Garter. This statement supposedly originated when King Edward III was dancing with his first cousin and daughter-in-law, Joan of Kent. Her garter slipped down to her ankle, causing those around her to snicker at her humiliation. In an act of chivalry Edward placed the garter around his own leg, saying “Honi soit qui mal y pense”, and the phrase later became the motto of the Order.
Of a very versatile size, this slice of the green and pleasant land would be well placed on a mantelpiece or hung above a doorway.
The armorial is pleasingly in one piece but there is a hairline crack running through it which means it is less stable than it ought to be with a further crack to the bottom left corner. It still displays well as photographed and could be strengthened if so desired. It could of course be wall hung with the right fixing, as it is not hugely heavy.
By appointment only.
