Queen Elizabeth I: Hilliard’s Great Seal The rarest of Gloriana's three royal seals.

Son of an Exeter goldsmith and trained as a jeweller, Nicholas Hilliard was appointed Court Miniaturist and Goldsmith by Elizabeth I about 1570. He was head and shoulders above his contemporaries and dominated the field in his era. His finest artistic creation and the one he is best remembered for today is his Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth, which was appended to significant documents to indicate the Queen’s assent. His was the second of three seals she had made during her long reign, and by all accounts the best.The Seal is three-dimensional. Its recto shows the Queen circa 1584 on her Renaissance-era throne, the ruff curving up to support the face, the (truncated) skirt thick with folds, the crown surmounting her curls, the full hands holding the royal insignia, and the royal coat of arms besides. The verso illustrates the Queen in profile riding on horseback.This is an original Hilliard Seal in good condition, the relief still strong, the elements clear, but with age-toning and some loss of detail in the surrounding text and at a few points within the body. It has been attached to a board so that only the recto is visible. (Inventory #: 4922)