Twelve rare Elizabeth I painted sycamore trenchers, or 'roundelays', in a painted beech trencher case or box, circa 1580 - 1600


The turned circular box made of beech, decorated in red to the sides, with only traces of decoration to the top of the domed cover, enclosing twelve sycamore trenchers, each painted to the centre with a quatrain in black letter, and with a border of different flowers, fruits and foliage, the trenchers 13cm diameter; the box 17cm diameter x 5cm high, (13)
|In the 16th century, cheese, sweetmeats and other confections were eaten off the plain side of trenchers like these after a meal or festive banquet. Each guest would then turn the trencher over and recite the verse inscribed thereon. These short verses were often moral, satirical or religious in nature.A similar set of trenchers, dated to the 16th century, is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Comparable late 16th and early 17th century roundelays sold, Sotheby's, 6th June 2006, Lot 228; Christie's, 27th May 1999, Lot 319; Christie's, 8th November 2006, Lot 95 and Christie's, 27th April 2006, Lot 24.