400-yearold rare pendant up for sale

A 16th Century piece of jewellery thought to depict Mary Queen of Scots and son King James VI could fetch up to £15,000 at auction this month.

The rare gold, enamel and garnet two-sided portrait miniature pendant was made by goldsmiths in Edinburgh some time between 1560-1590, and is thought to have been a royal gift.

The 400-year-old piece has descended directly through the Earls of Darnley and Dukes of Lennox to its present owner.

The remarkable Renaissance heirloom is now being offered for sale for the first time at Christie’s Important Jewels sale in London on November 28.

Valued at £10,000-15,000, it is expected to attract interest from connoisseurs, collectors and museums.

The pendant, which would have been worn on a ribbon, is said to represent a specifically Scottish type of jewellery, associated with the courts of James VI and Mary Queen of Scots whose turbulent life story will be featured in a new film starring Saoirse Ronan. There are no surviving equivalent examples from England or Europe.

Although the sitters are not identified, according to the owner’s family traditions the opposing portrait miniatures depict Mary and King James VI.

Keith Penton, Christie’s head of jewellery, said: “Given the extraordinary provenance of this jewel, it is highly likely that the portraits depict some of the most prominent members of the Scottish Court in the mid-late 16th Century.”