A rare 17th-century mourning jewel, depicted in the celebrated 1635 painting 'Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife' by John Souch, has been rediscovered after 400 years. The heart-shaped pendant, which contains a tassel of hair from Aston’s deceased son Robert, was identified by its current owners during a chance visit to an exhibition featuring the portrait. Valued at £650,000, the gold and enamel memento mori features intricate Latin inscriptions that were previously illegible in the painting.
The discovery is a significant moment for art history and provenance research, as it provides a physical link to one of the most enigmatic family portraits in British art. By reuniting the object with its painted representation, scholars can now fully decode the symbols of grief and familial loss that define the masterpiece held at the Manchester Art Gallery. The find highlights the enduring emotional power of historical objects and the role of specialized dealers in uncovering lost treasures from private collections.