With the exception of the cup designed for Hans of Antwerp, which shows that the two men worked together, it is impossible to connect Holbein’s name directly with that of any one of the many goldsmiths who served the court; but it is probable that he was employed by at least several of them, and almost certainly by Cornelis Hayes. There were an extraordinary number of such craftsmen, both native and foreign, in London at that period, and many others, more particularly Frenchmen and Italians, who paid periodical visits to England in order to sell works of art and jewels to the King and the nobility.

The leading London jeweller of the earlier part of Henry’s reign was Robert Amadas, of Lombard Street, an alderman, who in 1526 was appointed Master of the Jewel House, a post which he held until his death in 1532, when he was succeeded by Thomas Cromwell. Other leading goldsmiths were Alderman Sir John Mundy, appointed justice to the merchants of the Steelyard in 1525,[693] Alderman Robert Fenrother, Gerard Hughes, Robert Lord, Nicholas and Henry Wooley, Thomas Trappes, William Holland, John Twiselton, John van Utricke, and Henry Holtesweller. Large sums were spent in New Year’s gifts, the King both giving and receiving many very valuable presents. Thus in 1520 £1208, 17s. 6d. was paid to Amadas, Twiselton, and Holland for supplying such gifts, and in 1521 no less than £1679, 15s. 10d., while smaller sums were received by other goldsmiths.[694] There was also constant demand for gold and silver plate for presentation to foreign ambassadors and envoys, and for christening presents for the children of the King’s favourites. Amadas supplied many of these, as well as seals, jewels, spangles and other ornaments for the jackets of the King’s Guards, silver bells, bosses, and nails for his Majesty’s use, and many other articles which need not be specified. Amadas was dead before Holbein became attached to the court, and it is not at all likely that the latter designed for him. He must, however, have been well acquainted with the Dutchman, Cornelis Hayes, or Heyes, who became a naturalised Englishman in January 1523,[695] and was afterwards one of the most regularly employed of the goldsmiths specially appointed to the King’s service. He received licence to keep six alien apprentices and twelve journeymen, notwithstanding the statute of 14 & 15 Hen. VIII.[696] He supplied many jewels for Anne Boleyn, including “a diamond in a brooch of our Lady of Boulogne,” and was employed, after Wolsey’s downfall, to remove the coat of arms from the Cardinal’s plate and place thereon the royal arms instead. He was also frequently occupied in repairing and altering the royal jewels and badges. His possible co-operation with Holbein, in 1534, in connection with the making of a silver cradle and figures of Adam and Eve has been already mentioned,[697] and also that the piece of plate given to Holbein by the King in return for the portrait of Prince Edward was made by Hayes.[698] Holbein and Hayes had a common friend in Bourbon, the French poet, who stayed with the goldsmith when in London.

Another goldsmith of importance was the Welshman Morgan Wolf, Fenwolf, or Phillip, one of the sewers of the chamber, and keeper of the castle and lordship of Abergavenny. Both he and the Englishman John Freeman supplied many New Year’s gifts and other goldsmith’s work to Henry. The latter was a protégé of Cromwell’s, who found him much employment in connection with the dissolution of the monasteries, and granted him a number of fat appointments. Morgan Wolf engraved the Great Seal of England in 1543.[699] Among the foreign jewellers who came frequently to England, and some of whom eventually settled here, were Alart Plumier, or Plymmer, as he is called in the royal accounts, of Paris, who had frequent dealings with the King; Jehan Lange, of the same city, who came over as the representative of several Parisian houses; Hubert Morett,[700] Christopher Herrault, Peter Romaynes, Guillim Ottener, John Crispin, Latronet, and Martin Garrard, the latter obtaining a patent of denization in 1535. To prolong the list of names would be only tedious, for it is impossible to connect Holbein’s name definitely with any one of them, though there is every probability that Cornelis Hayes and John of Antwerp both worked in conjunction with him.