9th Nov, 2022 10:00
Instinct, Scholarship and Curiosity: The Jan Finch Collection
3
A pair of green silk brocaded trousers
A pair of green silk brocaded trousers,
17th/18th century, English, said to have once been worn by Sir Jeffrey Hudson (1619-1682), court dwarf to Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I, together with an old inscribed card from the Marquess of Abercorn reading: ‘Worn by the Celebrated Sir Geoffrey Hudson Charles II’s Dwarf’, now in a clothbound fitted case, inscribed in gilt 'Court Dwarf To Queen Henrietta Maria, Sir Geoffrey Hudson's Trousers 1619-1682',
45cm wide
29cm high approximately
33cm wide
Provenance: The Collection of the Late Eila Grahame (1935-2009), proud descendant of the Grahams of Duntrune and Claverhouse.
Renowned at court for his fine, perfect proportions and extremely diminutive size, Sir Jeffrey Hudson was the favourite court dwarf to Queen Henrietta Maria. His height was recorded as 45cms (19.5in) and came first to the Queen’s notice when he was served up in a pie wearing a miniature suit of armour. Known as the 'Queen’s dwarf' and 'Lord Minimus', he was considered one of the wonders of the age. He was painted by Van Dyck standing with the Queen, her pet capuchin monkey, 'Pug', on his arm.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
Married in 1993, Jan and Craig Finch became known for their ‘wunderkammer’ mix of rare items with impeccable provenance, creating the greatest cabinet of curiosities for the 21st century.
Sold for £7,500
Condition Report
Trousers with wear and discolouration. Braid to the hem has come unstitched. Some holes to the brocade in the crotch showing the lining. Some black marks/scuffs to the back of both legs. Large crease across both legs where they have been folded. The waistband tie has come apart at back. Case in generally good condition but with large water stain to the front. Paper label inside rubbed
notes from the vendor:
They were sold in the Eila Grahame auction, at Cheffins, a few years ago, where Jan fell in love with them! apart from the old card, attached to the trousers, which is perfectly genuine, there was no further information about where Eila had bought them from, they too were certainly one of the pieces Eila had kept at home, I never remember seeing them in her shop, she bought so much, and handled so much through her gallery in London, often she forgot about the paperwork!
However, a charming royal memento, beautifully made, and showing signs that ’they’ were worn and used, rather than being just a ‘template’ / facsimile
These too were bought for stock, but somehow ended up staying with Jan in her office!
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Auction: Instinct, Scholarship and Curiosity: The Jan Finch Collection, 9th Nov, 2022
With a natural curiosity and a tremendous thirst for knowledge, the late Jan Ellen Finch (1952-2021), led the London-based Finch & Co. over four decades to become one of the best-known and exciting dealerships of the modern era. Her impressive career is now marked in a sale of close-to four hundred hugely varied lots, as her husband and business partner, Craig, seeks to downsize and spend more time outside of the UK.
Sworders' sale includes both carefully chosen items of Finch & Co. stock and many pieces from Jan’s personal collection. Presented together, the collection is a celebration of many of her passions, which extended beyond her professional work to include gardening, cookery, and travel.
Viewing
VIEWING
Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Sun 6 Nov, 10am - 1pm
Mon 7 Nov, 10am - 5pm
Tues 8 Nov, 10am - 5pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
Highlights
Selected lots will be available to view at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Mon 17 to Fri 21 Oct, 10.30am - 5pm
Sat 22 Oct, 11am - 4pm
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Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
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