Cameo of James I

c.1590

French(?)

Charles I(?); first documented in the Royal Collection in 1660

Cameo bust of James I of England (1603-25) when James VI of Scotland (1567-1625), in three-quarter profile to the right, with moustache and beard. He wears a doublet and a high-crowned hat with a wide brim. Set within a raised border in the grey layer of the stone.

The image appears to be based on the medal struck in 1590 to commemorate James VI of Scotland’s marriage to Anne of Denmark. The King is similarly depicted in a portrait painted by Adrian Vanson in 1595 and in a miniature attributed to Adrian Vanson, also dated 1595. ...