The Heneage Jewel; The Armada Jewel

Nicholas Hilliardca. 1595 (made) - 1599

The Heneage or Armada Jewel, English, about 1595

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Details

Title: The Heneage Jewel; The Armada Jewel
Creator Lifespan: 1542 - 1619
Date Created: ca. 1595 (made) - 1599
Location Created: England
Type: Locket
Rights: Given by the Rt. Hon. Viscount Wakefield CBE, through The Art Fund
External Link: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O33883
painter: Hilliard, Nicholas
Subjects Depicted: Elizabeth I (Queen of England and Wales); Ark; Tudor rose
More Information: This locket encloses a miniature of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). According to tradition, the jewel was given by the queen to Sir Thomas Heneage. He was a Privy Counsellor and Vice-Chamberlain of the Royal Household. The jewel remained in the possession of the Heneage family until 1902. It has sometimes been called the Armada Jewel. However, it was probably made in about 1595, some years after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The reverse shows a ship holding steady on a stormy sea. It symbolises the Protestant church steered by Elizabeth through religious turmoil.
Materials and Techniques: Enamelled gold, table-cut diamonds, Burmese rubies, rock crystal and a miniature
Dimensions: Height: 7 cm, Width: 5.1 cm

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