Habit of King Henry VII in 1490, Hand Colored Jefferys Costume Plate, 1757

This is an original antique copper engraving with hand coloring, lettered in script "Habit of King Henry VII. in 1490." The king stands facing us in a black cap set with a jewel, his hair falling to his shoulders. He wears a long violet gown patterned in damask, lined and edged with fur, with wide hanging sleeves, open over a pale blue robe. A jeweled clasp closes the robe at his throat, with one hand at his waist and the other lowered at his side within a wide fur lined sleeve.

The French caption beneath reads "Le Roi Henri VII.", meaning King Henry VII. The plate number 193 is engraved at lower right; no artist or engraver is named.

Thomas Jefferys, Geographer to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, published A Collection of the Dresses of Different Nations, Antient and Modern in London in 1757, and this plate comes from the second volume. The title page names Holbein, Vandyke, Hollar and others as the sources of the designs, and the book also bears a French title, Recueil des Habillements de Différentes Nations, matching the French captions engraved beneath each English title. Henry VII, the first Tudor king, took the throne in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth and reigned until 1509. The date 1490 refers to the costume, not to the print.

With its clear single figure and wide margins, the plate is easy to mount and frame, alone or as part of a small group.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.