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Lot 1056

A Pair of Stained Glass 'Marital Alliance' Panels with Washington Family Coat of Arms
Sale 1060 - American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Lots 1001-1304
Sep 14, 2022 10:00AM ET
Lots 1305-1582
Sep 15, 2022 10:00AM ET
Live / Cincinnati
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Estimate
$1,000 - 2,000
Price Realized
$625
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium
Lot Description
A Pair of Stained Glass 'Marital Alliance' Panels with Washington Family Coat of Arms
Early 20th Century
Each 12 x 18 inches (including suspension loop). 

Both panels feature the Washington family coat-of-arms, two horizontal bars below three mullets (five-pointed stars) alongside the coat-of-arms of family allies through marriage. The "Wasshington and Light" marital shield celebrates the alliance through marriage of Robert Washington and Elizabeth Light in 1565 while the "Wasshington and Kytson" shield celebrates the alliance of John Washington and Margaret Kytson in 1495. The spelling of the family name "Wasshington" reflects the centuries-long evolution of the name from Wessyngton (ca 1100s) to Washington.

In the 1500s-1600s, a series of 7 marital alliance panels was made for Sulgrave Manor, England, the ancestral home of George Washington. According to the Corning Museum of Glass, after the Washington ancestral home changed hands in the nineteenth century, the original stained glass panels were removed. Five of the original stained glass panels remain in England at St. Mary's Church in Fawsley while the Corning Museum is home to the remaining two panels. Replicas were made for the original house and installed after World War I. It is believed several other series of copies were made around this time which found their way onto the market in the early 20th century. The examples offered here are likely copies from this period. 

Auction records indicate just one sale of similar panels, in February 2021. Documented replicas are found at Sulgrave Manor; at the "Virginia House" (collections of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture); the White House (presented to Calvin Coolidge); and in two private collections. 

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