CHEAPSIDE HOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1928, Page 8

CHEAPSIDE HOARD

WAK KEI ELD HOUSE JEWELS

ELIZABETH AN AND JACOBEAN TREASURES.

I is sixlceii yenrs since a box ol valuable jewels was found during tin; excavations for tin* building ol A\akcliold House, Cheapside. In bulk alone il exceeds any oilier collection oi the kind in Great Britain; and it represents an unusually high order of eraftsmansbip. An interesting little book descriptive of tin* “Find” just issued by .Mr. I!. E. .Mortimer AVlieeler, Keeper and .Secretary of the London Museum. Lancaster Mouse, recalls a very remarkable story. TUB CORPORATION'S CLAIM. It was not until a year or more after the Discovery that the Corporation became aware that -jewels found in the City were being exhibited at the London Museum. It seems that they were found by workmen engaged in excavating the site for "Wakefield TTou.se, and that they were sold to a collector interested in the London Museum. The men obtained sufficient money apparently to prevent them from, carrying on their work with the pickaxe for Rome time. The jewels having been found within the One Square Mile, the Lord Mayor claimed them as treasure trove, as he was entitled to do by ancient custom and Charter riglit. MR. MARCO CRT’S OFT-ltR. A correspondence took place between lhe then City Solicitor (Sir Homewood (.‘raw'drd) and Mr. (Afterwards Viscount) Lewis Hareourt, Ai.i'.. who "as i trustee of the London Museum and British Museum, Air. Hareourt said the element of treasure trove in the ■‘find” was extremely small, consisting onlv -if the gold setting of the jewels and the gold base of .some of the enamels. but any attempt to separate the two would result in the destruction of the nrtist'c and antiquarian merits ,f (he collector. He would, however, willing’"' agree to the suggestion that some of the jewels should he deposited in the Guildhall Museum and some in the London Museum, a label being attached to the case in each Museum stating that the collection was the joint (rift of the Corporation of London and himself. Air. Hareourt admitted that he had not realised the City’s ancient rights of treasure trove. THE LION’S SHARE. A.s the' legal definition of treasure trove extends only to bullion, and. in view of all the circumstances, the Corporation agreed to a compromise, not anticipating, however, that the London Museum would take the lion s share, or more than the lion’s share, ol the precious jewels. Some of the gems are of classical or Byzantine origin, and not any of them are supposed to he of a later period than James 1. There is little donhl that these treasures formed part of a icwoller’s stork, hut there are differences of opinion as to the time when they were “buried.” and also as to the motive which prompted the “burial.’ f| was supo'sed that the box of p-oe-tons jewels had been hidden about the time Of the Great Fire, hut it seems more than probable that it was soon after the year 1000. ~\T THE GUILDHALL. The City’s portion of the treasure was first exhibited in the Guildhall Museum in 1010. Sir Charles AYakofiald upon the site of whose premises (he, treasure was found, being Lord Mavor. The colleclicn includes an oval watch with emerald face, and a ,-iriker of the ypriod 130. numerous rrrdd rings and chains set with amethysts. sapphires and diamonds; enamelled and jewelled crosses, a crystal fragment, gold pendants — —one being "the from of a cross, enamelled at the hack, and set with fight coloured rose-cut amethysts——lan holders; a gold hairpin in the form of a shepherds crook, and numerous other objects of interest. A much small ' number of articles forming pait of the hoard are exhibited at the British Museum and the A ietoria and Albeit Museum. BEAUTIFUL PLATES. Mr. Alortimer AVlieeler has produced a beautifully illustrated catalogue of the exhibits, some of the plates being in colours. “The hoard,” says the writer, “may l>o said to constitute a new landmark in the history of the jeweller's craft. The materials used, --emerald from Columbia, topaz and Amazonstone, probably from Brazil, •hrvsohervl cat’s eyes, spinel and iolite from Ceylon. Indian rubies and diamonds, lapis lazuli and turquoise from Persia, peridot from St. John's Island in the Red Sea. a.s well as amethysts, garnets, opals, and other stones from nearer home—show a surprisingly wide range and reilect the precocious cxpan>iveness oi Euro, can commerce at the beginning of the l~th. century.” The Articles at the London Aluseum are exhibited in a large ease, the beautiful and sparkling chains forming a |',;i o baekg'-nind to the smaller hut no less inlerstieng objects. One of these is a watch set in a single large emerald of hexagonal shape. The loop is also set with small emeralds and with white enamel, and the face is enamelled 1,-roen. Tlfis. like the watch at the Guildhall, has been dated by Afr Percy W-c j-M- Master of the Clock-makers Company in 1927. the date being TOOL There are a number of interesting hat ornaments, hairpins, pedants, and earrings. the latest named having come into frequent use after a long period of neglect. Even Charles T.. it is said, wore an ear-ring on the scaffold.