A TRULY RARE AND IMPORTANT 16TH CENTURY ENGLISH OAK SCULPTURE OF ELIZABETH I. CIRCA 1558-1559.

THERE ARE LITERALLY VERY FEW KNOWN SCULPTURES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I IN EXISTENCE.

THIS INCREDIBLY RARE AND POSSIBLY UNIQUE SCULPTURE OF A YOUNG ELIZABETH I MOST PROBABLY JUST PRIOR TO HER CORONATION IN JANUARY 1559 SHOWS HER CARRYING HER CROWN AND SCEPTRE. IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE COME FROM THE OLD PALACE HATFIELD IN HERTFORDSHIRE, IT RETAINS TRACES OF ITS ORIGINAL GUILDING AND POLYCHROME DECORATION. EXQUISITE DETAIL.

IN 1558 WHILE SITTING UNDER AN OAK TREE IN THE PARK AT HATFIELD OLD PALACE SHE LEARNT OF HER SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE AFTER THE DEATH OF HER HALF SISTER MARY I.

THE OLD PALACE HATFIELD WAS BUILT IN 1497 BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY (FORMERELY BISHOP OF ELY) KING HENRY VII MINISTER, JOHN CARDINAL MORTON. IT COMPRISED OF FOUR WINGS SURROUNDING A CENTRAL COURT YARD , THREE QUARTERS OF THE PALACE WAS PULLED DOWN IN THE EARLY 17TH CENTURY (1608) LEAVING ONLY A QUARTER OF THE ORIGINAL PALACE REMAINING. ELIZABETH SPENT MOST OF HER YOUNG LIFE AT THE OLD PALACE UNTIL HER CORONATION IN JANUARY 1559.

PROVENANCE- THIS BEAUTIFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE SCULPTURE WAS DISCOVERED IN HERTFORDSHIRE THE COUNTY OF HATFIELD AND HAS BEEN IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION EVER SINCE. THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN FIXED TO A GREAT WALL DECORATION OR FIREPLACE . MUSEUM QUALITY.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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