Rare 10x13 Mammoth Albumen Photo King Philip III Child Armor Real Armería c.1860 For Sale

Overview:Offered is a significant mid-19th century Large Format (Mammoth Plate) Albumen Print of one of the most famous pieces in the Real Armería (Royal Armory) of Madrid. This photograph documents the ornate, 16th-century repoussé armor gifted to King Philip III of Spain as a youth by the Duke of Terranova.

Attribution & Provenance:While this print is unstamped, it is firmly attributed to the studio of Charles Clifford (official photographer to Queen Isabella II).

• Inventory Match: The pedestal clearly displays the catalog number "641", which corresponds exactly to the Clifford plates held in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

• Manuscript Notation: The reverse features a contemporary 19th-century handwritten note in ink: "Given to Philip 3rd when a child by the Duke of Terranova." This period inscription provides unique historical context and suggests this print may have originated from a scholarly or royal collection.

Technical Specifications:

• Process: Albumen Print from a Glass-Plate Negative.

• Dimensions: Approximately 10" x 13" (Large Format/Mammoth Plate).

• Support: Unmounted on original thin-stock paper.

• Subject: Elaborate 16th-century parade armor, likely from the workshop of Lucio Piccinino.

Condition Report:This is an unmounted 150+ year-old print. The paper remains supple with the characteristic slight sheen of the albumen process.

• Tones: Strong contrast with deep sepias and clear highlights in the metalwork.

• Edges: Minor handling wear consistent with age for an unmounted sheet. No major tears or repairs.

• Reverse: Clean, with the aforementioned historical manuscript notation.

Shipping & Handling:Due to the rarity and unmounted nature of this item, it will be shipped flat between multiple layers of acid-free archival board and reinforced with moisture-resistant packaging.