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Hamnet-era mourning jewel from celebrated painting rediscovered after 400 years
Exclusive: pendant appears in 1635 painting Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife that hangs in the Manchester Art Gallery
TL;DR
- A mourning jewel, featured in the 1635 painting "Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife," has been rediscovered after four centuries.
- The heart-shaped pendant, made from the hair of a deceased child, commemorates loss and bears inscriptions detailing the grief of the Aston family.
- John Souch, the artist, was known for his precise rendering of details like jewelry, yet the full meaning of the pendant is only now understood through its recovery.
- The jewel's rediscovery by its present owners, who recognized it from the painting, provides scholars with new perspectives on the artwork and its symbolism.
- Valued at £650,000, the pendant is exceptionally rare, and its unveiling at the Treasure House Fair will mark its public debut.
- The Aston family experienced significant tragedy, with multiple children and Sir Thomas himself dying young or from war wounds.