Lost 17th-Century Pendant Reveals a Family's Heartbreaking Secret
Lost Renaissance Pendant from Mysterious Painting Found in Britain After Nearly 400 Years
A heart-shaped pendant with a tassel, adorned with enamel and a skull motif, has been discovered in Britain after centuries—identical to the one depicted in one of the Renaissance's most enigmatic paintings, The Guardian reports.
The jewel appears in Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife, a 1635 masterpiece by John Souch housed in the Manchester Art Gallery as part of its permanent collection.
Long believed lost, the pendant has resurfaced in private hands. An anonymous couple acquired it in the 1990s, unaware of its history, only recognizing it years later during a gallery visit.
Crafted in memory of Sir Thomas Aston's six-year-old son, Robert, who died a year before the painting was created, the pendant's tassel was woven from the boy's fair hair. In the artwork, it hangs from the grieving father's clothing beside an empty cradle topped with a skull.
Historical jewelry expert Martin Downer noted that the pendant bears a Latin inscription: "Your Robert departed on May 4, 1634… In him was our joy, our comfort; his parents' hope died with him." The relic is now valued at £650,000 (approximately 75 million rubles).
Fiona Corridan, a gallery spokesperson, called the discovery "incredibly moving" and expressed hope that the pendant might one day be reunited with the painting. It will go on public display for the first time at London's Treasure House Fair from June 24 to 30.
Earlier, in Paris, a charity lottery winner claimed a Pablo Picasso painting worth around €1 million (89 million rubles) after buying a €100 (8,900 ruble) ticket on a whim. The man had stumbled upon the raffle while dining at a restaurant.
