19th Century English Gilded Shadowbox of "Black Eagle"

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This gilt bronze plaque featured in a shadowbox is of the famous circus horse "Black Eagle", and was made and … Read more This gilt bronze plaque featured in a shadowbox is of the famous circus horse "Black Eagle", and was made and framed circa 1855 to 1860. "Black Eagle" was purchased from the King of the Belgians by John and George Sanger for use in their traveling circus in 1845.
They produced and traveled widely in Europe but primarily in England to ever-increasing success, producing greater and greater extravagant equestrian pantomimes of not only this horse but many horses. The property and paraphernalia for this show as well as some of the acts was purchased for 33,000 pounds by none other than P. T. Barnum for use in America in 1874.
"Black Eagle" appeared on occasions before Queen Victoria at her Royal Palaces on numerous occasions. This plaque is set within a period frame with hand blown glass and is set within a gilded inner liner and mounted as it was originally purchased presenting a great piece of historical memorabilia.
The plaque itself is of both matte and burnished gilding giving the horse and tack depth and dramatic contrast. See less