HERALDIC ART DISPLAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 13, 30 January 1937, Page 11

HERALDIC ART DISPLAY

Exhibition of Glitter and Colour

The Birmingham Art Gallery, which has arranged many notable exhibitions, made a display of heraldic art at a recent exhibition, which was opened by Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, Gar ter Principal King of Arms. The variety of exMbits was amazang; nothing like it has ever been seen out of 1/ondon. Perhaps the most notable feature was the famous Westminster Koll, "sixty feet of glitter and eolour,,, as it has been described, bristling With gay iigures. This was done to celebrate the great tournament at Westminster, arranged by Henry V23I. Is honour of Katharine of ATragon. Coming to modern times, Ihe King and Queen Mary lent the Silver Jubilee tapestry. Queen Mary also lent several pieces of olate ahd a fine bibelot, which she diseovered, a miniature - woodearving of the arms of WilHam HI. The Duke of Buccleuch lent the Bellendaine banner, the last standard of the old type to be carried in war. The banner of Colonel Hopton, carried on King Charles's behalf in the Civil WaT, was also on view. The Duke of Norfolk sent some interesting seals, and there was embroidery of the timo of the immortal Bess of Hardwicke, ?ent by the Duke of Devonshire. The Duke of Beaufort sent his famous Somerset portrait j the Duke of St. Albans the pedigree of Beauclairj the Duke of Portland his coronet, and a seal of Oti-

ver Cromwell % Parliament j and the Duke of Bedford some remarkable podigrees. Lord Spencer, from whom and Viscount Cobham Mt. Kaines Smith, the Keeper of the Gallery, derived the inception of the idea of the exhibition, sent the Duke of Marlborough 's gr*at silver bottle, two feet high, which he carried on his campaigns. Then there were practically all the great eeals of the Kings of England, including both those of Richard I., the one bearing two lions combatant, and the other the three leopaxds of King Edward VJJLL. Some notable rolls of arms were seen, and the great Ely Tabula, a mighty record, painted on canvas, of the benefactors of Ely. In the armorial china section ' were shown part of a great dinner seTvice given to Edmund Anson at Canton, while going round the world. His crew put in at Canton and extinguished a great fire that threatened the city. There was also the earliest piece of armorial oriental china known. This was lent by the Bristol Mu!3eum. Then there was the crystal maCe from Norwich, said to be- the most beautif ul of its kind in England. All that is best of the Norwich regalia was seen. Bristol 's pearls sword, which was presented to the city in 1431,* and has never before left it, attracted iiiuuh atatention.