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Antique Hand Painted Royal Coat of Arms Tile, Framed

Antique Hand Painted Royal Coat of Arms Tile, Framed

$675.00 CAD
$675.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
Duties included.
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About This Piece

The unicorn is chained, which is the first thing worth knowing about the Royal Arms. Here it rears beside a crowned lion, both flanking a Garter-ringed shield, with the motto still readable on the blue scroll below. The mantling is worked in grey and gold with real confidence. Nothing on the face names a painter or a tilemaker, and I have not guessed at one. The paint has lifted in places, and it is described in full below.

Details
Artist
Unidentified
Signature
None visible on the face
Medium
Hand painted tile
Subject
The Royal Arms of the United Kingdom with lion and unicorn supporters
Origin
England, likely
Age
Antique, late 19th to early 20th century. The design is the form of the Royal Arms used from 1837 onward, which sets the earliest possible date. The range within that rests on the drawing of the arms and the overall character of the tile, as the tile has not been removed from its frame.
Tile Size
7.5 in. H x 8.5 in. W
Frame Size
9.25 in. H x 10.25 in. W
Format
Rectangular, landscape
Frame
Gilt beaded frame under glass, a later addition to the tile, with modern board backing and a cord hanger
Heraldry
The shield is quartered, with England in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland in the second, and Ireland in the third. The lion stands for England and the chained unicorn for Scotland, a pairing that dates from the union of the crowns in 1603. The unicorn is chained because, by legend, a free unicorn was considered dangerous. The circlet around the shield carries the motto of the Order of the Garter, Honi soit qui mal y pense, “shame on him who thinks evil of it,” from the order founded by Edward III around 1348. The scroll below reads Dieu et mon droit, “God and my right,” the motto of English monarchs. Versions of the arms before 1837 carried a small shield for Hanover at the center. It was removed when Victoria came to the throne, because Hanover’s law barred a woman from inheriting it. This tile has no such shield.
Condition

The painted decoration has lost a good deal of its surface. Lifting and flaking run across the lion, the unicorn, the shield, the crest, and the lower scrolls, and the losses expose a pale surface beneath. Strong blue, red, and gold remain in patches, most clearly in the shield and the scrolls at the base. Some areas of lifting paint are still in place and may continue to shed with handling or movement. No retouching is evident in the photographs.

The tile sits in its frame under glass and has not been removed, so its edges, back, and any chips or cracks beneath the frame have not been examined.

The frame is a gilt beaded profile, bright and clean, with light wear. The backing is modern board with tape, plastic bumpers, and a cord hanger.

Please review all photographs closely, as they form part of this description.

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Shipping & Returns

All antique and vintage items are shipped from our warehouse in Bluffdale, Utah. Each piece is carefully packed by hand using archival materials and custom crating when necessary.

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If your piece arrives damaged, please photograph the damage immediately (including packaging), contact us within 48 hours at austynmariedesign@gmail.com, and do not discard any packaging.

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Important Info About Antique & Vintage

Every antique and vintage item we carry has lived a life before arriving in your home. These are not factory-made products. They are objects with history, character, and the marks of time.

Age-appropriate wear, patina, minor imperfections, and signs of previous use or repair are inherent to antique and vintage items and are not considered defects. These characteristics are part of what makes each piece unique and are often what give it its beauty and value.

We describe the condition of each piece as accurately as possible in the listing. If you have specific questions about a piece before purchasing, please reach out. We are always happy to provide additional photos or details.

Colors may appear slightly different on screen due to monitor settings and photography lighting. We do our best to represent each item accurately.

Descriptions, dates, attributions, materials, and measurements are provided in good faith and reflect our best assessment based on research, physical examination, and the information available to us. Antique and vintage pieces often carry incomplete or unverifiable histories. Where a detail is an assessment rather than a confirmed fact, it is identified as such. Measurements are approximate. All items are sold as-is, with the photographs and condition report governing.

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