{"product_id":"antique-hand-painted-royal-coat-of-arms-tile-framed","title":"Antique Hand Painted Royal Coat of Arms Tile, Framed","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Artist | Unidentified\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Signature | None visible on the face\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Medium | Hand painted tile\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Subject | The Royal Arms of the United Kingdom with lion and unicorn supporters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Origin | England, likely\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e[d]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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Tile Size | 7.5 in. H x 8.5 in. W\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Frame Size | 9.25 in. H x 10.25 in. W\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Format | Rectangular, landscape\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e[d]Frame | Gilt beaded frame under glass, a later addition to the tile, with modern board backing and a cord hanger\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[condition]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePlease review all photographs closely, as they form part of this description.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Austyn Marie Design","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67636991754518,"sku":"ENM-2423","price":675.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0896\/4623\/5926\/files\/October_2026-14490.jpg?v=1793206520","url":"https:\/\/austyn-marie-design.myshopify.com\/products\/antique-hand-painted-royal-coat-of-arms-tile-framed","provider":"Austyn Marie Design","version":"1.0","type":"link"}