Tinsel print, hand-painted, circa early 19th century

 'Mr Cooper as Zanga the Tartan Chief'

Tinsel prints were extremely popular during the first half of the 19th century as an artistic hobby for adults. Prints with depictions of the most popular stars of the London theatre scene or historical and mythical characters were hand-painted in watercolour and then embellished with brightly coloured tinsel elements and other scraps of material, such as the tinsel layers on the Tartan Chief's shield in this example.

Framed.
30 x 21 cm

Fabric swatch: Tiger Palm in cocoa by Schumacher