Sculpture of the Day: The Dacre Ram, 1507-1525

Click Image to Enlarge

The Dacre Beasties
1507-1525
England
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Dacre Beasts are a group of figures which were made as heraldic ornaments to represent one of the most powerful families of Sixteenth Century Northern England. The group consists of a griffin, a bull, a dolphin (which looks rather like an angry trout) and a ram.

The wealth and power of the Dacre family (of Naworth Castle, Brampton, Cumbria) was expanded in 1317 when a member of the influential and land-rich de Multon family married a Dacre family. The marriage resulted in a union of two enormous plots of land and strengthened the Dacre’s hold on Northern England. The figure of the ram, seen holding a banner, represents the de Multon family ( originally spelled 'Mouton,' the name is French for “sheep,” and, hence the ram). The banner is emblazoned with the family coat of arms.

The Dacre Beasts, commissioned by Lord Thomas Dacre (1467-1525) were crafted by unnamed local craftsmen from, as the story goes, a single, large oak grown on the family estate. The figures were painted and gilded and adorned with mounts of tinned copper. The group was restored in 1844 after being rescued from a major fire at Naworth Castle. Testing of the pigment shows that they’ve been repainted several times over the centuries. It’s likely that these are the only recorded surviving original heraldic beasts of an English Renaissance noble family. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Heraldic “Swete Bag,” 1540

Swete Bag
1540
The Victoria & Albert Museum

To find an object such as this from the Sixteenth Century is quite rare. Here, we see a very formal, heraldic purse which was often used as part of a marriage ceremony to hold gifts of money for the betrothed couple. However, this purse would later have a more practical use than simply being a receptacle for coins.

Purses such as this one of four linen panels (cut in a shield shape) and embroidered in silks were called “swete-bags” and were used for carrying perfumed herbs to scent the air. Such purses were carried by both men and women either on the arm, in the hand over around the waist.

This example appears to have been intended to hang from the waist. Though we tend to think of objects from the Sixteenth Century as being somewhat rough, that’s not the case. We can see from this swete bag that the workmanship is extremely fine and features 1,250 silk stitches per square inch.

These bags and other personal items also offered a wonderful opportunity to display the family coat of arms as a way of not only proclaiming ownership, but reinforcing station and lineage. Here, we see the arms of the Calthorpe family, and we can tell by associated records that the purse was used in four wedding ceremonies. 

Gifts of Grandeur: A Badge of the Order of The Garter, 1640

Insignia
Order of the garter
Lesser George
Gold and Enamel, 1640
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Yay! It’s an insignia of the Order of the Garter! I always like these. I like the garter stars most of all, but these little Georges are always a treat. The Order of the Garter was founded in 1348, on St. George’s Day, by King Edward III. It’s the oldest order of chivalry in Europe. It’s also Britain’s highest order and honor.

When granted the Order of the Garter, the individual is given a set of chivalric insignia. He’s set up with a Greater George (I’ll explain more below) for formal use, a Lesser George for everyday wear, and a star to wear on his cloak. These stars, at first, were embroidered with metallic thread, but, if you were special, yours could be a pin made of gold and diamonds.

By the time of Henry VIII, the badges were designed to be worn on a collar. Henry introduced the collar which consisted of 26 Tudor roses within blue garters, with an image of St George killing the dragon hanging by a gold tassel.

That particular image of George slaying the dragon is known as “The Greater George.” So, any garter badge with that depiction is known as such. The one that we see above is known as a “Lesser George.” This version would have been worn for more informal occasions. The Lesser George depicts St. George and the dragon, pre-kill, surrounded by a garter and the motto of the Order.

The twenty-six Tudor roses on the collar symbolize the twenty-six members of the order. The order consists only of twenty-six living members at a time. The collar was not to be set with precious stones. I’m not sure why, but that was the rule. The stars and other insignia could, however, be adorned with any sort of gems that were in fashion at the time.

While the example we see here is made of gold and enamel, other examples of the period are, in fact, set with gems. Greater Georges usually boasted more gems than their informal brothers, but every once in awhile, a Lesser George sparkled with diamonds and other gems. Charles I, for example, wore one set with over 400 diamonds. He wore it to his execution—as one does.

This particular Lesser George was once owned by Thomas Wentworth, who was knighted by King James I and created Earl of Strafford by Charles I in 1640. The Earl represented Yorkshire in Parliament and though he outwardly fought for more honesty and accountability in government, he was actually a rather nasty, greedy and ruthless bloke who made himself many enemies. He was tried for treason during the war with Scotland, and, executed. Presumably, unlike Charles I, he didn’t wear his insignia to the chopping block.

I should note that since being made in 1640, this insignia has, unavoidably, suffered some damage. At one time, George would have been holding a sword or a spear or some other sharp weapon which one might use to bother a dragon. That’s long gone and he’s just holding his little hand up—empty.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Badge of the Order of The Garter, 1640

Insignia
Order of the garter
Lesser George
Gold and Enamel, 1640
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Yay! It’s an insignia of the Order of the Garter! I always like these. I like the garter stars most of all, but these little Georges are always a treat. The Order of the Garter was founded in 1348, on St. George’s Day, by King Edward III. It’s the oldest order of chivalry in Europe. It’s also Britain’s highest order and honor.

When granted the Order of the Garter, the individual is given a set of chivalric insignia. He’s set up with a Greater George (I’ll explain more below) for formal use, a Lesser George for everyday wear, and a star to wear on his cloak. These stars, at first, were embroidered with metallic thread, but, if you were special, yours could be a pin made of gold and diamonds.

By the time of Henry VIII, the badges were designed to be worn on a collar. Henry introduced the collar which consisted of 26 Tudor roses within blue garters, with an image of St George killing the dragon hanging by a gold tassel.

That particular image of George slaying the dragon is known as “The Greater George.” So, any garter badge with that depiction is known as such. The one that we see above is known as a “Lesser George.” This version would have been worn for more informal occasions. The Lesser George depicts St. George and the dragon, pre-kill, surrounded by a garter and the motto of the Order.

The twenty-six Tudor roses on the collar symbolize the twenty-six members of the order. The order consists only of twenty-six living members at a time. The collar was not to be set with precious stones. I’m not sure why, but that was the rule. The stars and other insignia could, however, be adorned with any sort of gems that were in fashion at the time.

While the example we see here is made of gold and enamel, other examples of the period are, in fact, set with gems. Greater Georges usually boasted more gems than their informal brothers, but every once in awhile, a Lesser George sparkled with diamonds and other gems. Charles I, for example, wore one set with over 400 diamonds. He wore it to his execution—as one does.

This particular Lesser George was once owned by Thomas Wentworth, who was knighted by King James I and created Earl of Strafford by Charles I in 1640. The Earl represented Yorkshire in Parliament and though he outwardly fought for more honesty and accountability in government, he was actually a rather nasty, greedy and ruthless bloke who made himself many enemies. He was tried for treason during the war with Scotland, and, executed. Presumably, unlike Charles I, he didn’t wear his insignia to the chopping block.

I should note that since being made in 1640, this insignia has, unavoidably, suffered some damage. At one time, George would have been holding a sword or a spear or some other sharp weapon which one might use to bother a dragon. That’s long gone and he’s just holding his little hand up—empty.

Sculpture of the Day: The Dacre Ram, 1507-1525

Click Image to Enlarge

The Dacre Beasties
1507-1525
England
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Dacre Beasts are a group of figures which were made as heraldic ornaments to represent one of the most powerful families of Sixteenth Century Northern England. The group consists of a griffin, a bull, a dolphin (which looks rather like an angry trout) and a ram.

The wealth and power of the Dacre family (of Naworth Castle, Brampton, Cumbria) was expanded in 1317 when a member of the influential and land-rich de Multon family married a Dacre family. The marriage resulted in a union of two enormous plots of land and strengthened the Dacre’s hold on Northern England. The figure of the ram, seen holding a banner, represents the de Multon family ( originally spelled 'Mouton,' the name is French for “sheep,” and, hence the ram). The banner is emblazoned with the family coat of arms.

The Dacre Beasts, commissioned by Lord Thomas Dacre (1467-1525) were crafted by unnamed local craftsmen from, as the story goes, a single, large oak grown on the family estate. The figures were painted and gilded and adorned with mounts of tinned copper. The group was restored in 1844 after being rescued from a major fire at Naworth Castle. Testing of the pigment shows that they’ve been repainted several times over the centuries. It’s likely that these are the only recorded surviving original heraldic beasts of an English Renaissance noble family. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Heraldic “Swete Bag,” 1540

Swete Bag
1540
The Victoria & Albert Museum

To find an object such as this from the Sixteenth Century is quite rare. Here, we see a very formal, heraldic purse which was often used as part of a marriage ceremony to hold gifts of money for the betrothed couple. However, this purse would later have a more practical use than simply being a receptacle for coins.

Purses such as this one of four linen panels (cut in a shield shape) and embroidered in silks were called “swete-bags” and were used for carrying perfumed herbs to scent the air. Such purses were carried by both men and women either on the arm, in the hand over around the waist.

This example appears to have been intended to hang from the waist. Though we tend to think of objects from the Sixteenth Century as being somewhat rough, that’s not the case. We can see from this swete bag that the workmanship is extremely fine and features 1,250 silk stitches per square inch.

These bags and other personal items also offered a wonderful opportunity to display the family coat of arms as a way of not only proclaiming ownership, but reinforcing station and lineage. Here, we see the arms of the Calthorpe family, and we can tell by associated records that the purse was used in four wedding ceremonies.