Honi soit qui mal y pense

Image not available
Honi soit qui mal y pense
wood engraving
90 x 110 mm
Peel 2144
Provenance: 
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
Notes: 

Title from text within image.
Detached from an unidentified publication.

Summary: 

A satire on the coat of arms of the United Kingdom. Instead of a lion and a unicorn, the arms are flanked by a monstrous judicial figure (?) in goggles (?) and a centaur whose human half wears a military uniform and appears to be wielding an enormous snuffer with a head resembling the crown. On the shield the lions are depicted as skeletons and the strings are broken on the Irish harp. The motto of the Order of the Garter-- "Honi soit qui mal y pense"-- is inscribed on discarded cannons (?) that litter the ground below.

Classification: 
Department: