George Engleheart (London 1750-1829) A portrait miniature of a gentleman said to be Theobold Wol...

George Engleheart (London 1750-1829) A portrait miniature of a gentleman said to be Theobold Wolfe Tone (1763-1798), wearing a blue coat, white waistcoat, stock and tied cravat, his wig powdered. Watercolour on ivory, gold frame, the reverse with a navette-shaped hairwork compartment, within a surround of blue glass studded with eight rose-cut diamonds. Oval, 51mm ( 2in) high Footnotes: Theobald Wolfe Tone, posthumously known as Wolfe Tone was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen in Belfast and Dublin, a republican society determined to end British rule, and achieve accountable government. Throughout his political career, Tone was involved in a number of military engagements against the British navy. He was active in drawing Irish Catholics and Protestants together in the United cause, and in soliciting French assistance for a general insurrection. In November 1798, on his second attempt to land in Ireland with French troops and supplies, he was captured by British naval forces. The United Irish risings of the summer had already been crushed. Tone died in advance of his scheduled execution, probably, as modern scholars generally believe, by his own hand. Later generations were to regard Tone as the father of Irish Republicanism and his grave in Bodenstown, County Kildare, is the site of annual commemorations. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y Ф Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13. Ф This lot contains or is made of ivory and cannot be imported into the USA or any country within the EU. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com