by Geoffrey Godden:
THE JUBILEE TROPHY
This multi-subject picture was originally sold for 1s, and on back-labels of the 1887-8 period is a description in the following terms:
A splendid work of art, consisting of Portrait of the Queen, Royal Arms, Emblems, etc. mounted ready for framing, size 9in X 7in.
Godden actually records the JUBILEE TROPHY twice, once with catalogue number 955c, and a second time, with the words above, as number 1020.
Other comments:
Until the reporting in the January 2023 edition of the Stevengraph Collectors Association (SCA) newsletter, the weaver of the loose silk above was unknown.
As Godden notes, on a number of the Grant portrait back labels is the advertisement of the JUBILEE TROPHY picture. This title however does not appear on any of the Grant woven silks, it is simply a promotional title.
With a detail comparison of the silk above to the description in the back-label advert however, it seems more than likely this silk portrait is the actual JUBILEE TROPHY silk. The Emblems of State comprise the orb, sceptre and sword. The sceptre and sword are included on the silk, although the orb is missing. The Portrait and Royal Arms are both present, and there is nothing else in the woven silk which would have been included in the description.
Again, in comparison, the advertisement says that the overall card matt is 9inches by 7inches (22.9cm by 17.8cm). The mounted SCA portrait above appears to measures circa 22cm deep by 15cm wide. The matt depth is comparable, but not the width. However, with an inspection of the printed title wording of the image above, it will be seen that this card matt has probably been cut down to fit an outer frame.
