A mysterious brooch handed down through a family could sell for thousands at auction after turning out to be an ancient rarity.
Helen Scaife was gobsmacked to discover her mum’s strange inherited object was hundreds of years old, highly valuable and unusual. It depicts a gryllus, a weird creature with conjoined human/wild boar heads which has its roots in Ancient Rome.
It had been in a drawer for decades and handed down from mother to daughter for at least three generations. But no-one in the family had any idea how they came to own it and, until recently, they had no idea it was valuable either.
Helen discovered its potential by chance last October thanks to TV’s Antiques Roadshow. It produced one of the series’ classic jaw-dropping moments, and sparked gasps from Helen. After revealing its historical pedigree, jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn told her it was worth £7,000.
It was identified it as an intaglio gryllus cameo brooch dating back to the late 16th/early 17th century, possibly Italian in origin. It was crafted in the Renaissance period more than 300 years ago. The gryllus, carved in agate stone, is a comic combination of animals or animal/human forms seen in Greco-Roman glyptic art, especially in intaglios. The brooch is now set to go under the hammer (June 27) at Hansons Auctioneers guided at £4,000-£5,000. However, due to its rarity, the antiques experts say it may fly higher.
Helen, a 51-year-old civil servant from Cardiff, said: “My friend got tickets for the Antiques Roadshow and invited me to go with her. We went because we love the show, and she had a few little bits to take. I immediately thought of the brooch because we have always been curious as to what it was as we hadn’t seen anything like it. All the cameos we’d seen in the past, or Googled, were invariably faces of women or Greek gods.
“Nothing we ever came across looked like our brooch so I hoped someone would be able to tell us what it was and where it came from. I was NOT expecting what we found out. Which is evident from the show I think!
“When Geoffrey Munn said how much it was worth I said, ‘It’s been sitting in a drawer for so long, we haven’t known anything about it so I’m quite overwhelmed, to be honest. My mum is going to be completely blown away, because she didn’t believe it was worth anything’.
“When I got home mum didn’t believe me at first. She thought I was pulling her leg. I was going to try to keep it a secret until the show aired, but I decided in the end it wouldn’t be fair to her. And she has a way of getting information out of me!
“We’re not sure how it came into the family. My mother, Margaret Craddock, inherited it from her mother and she inherited it from her grandmother. It’s certainly been in the family since the 19th century. My grandmother was born in 1909 and it’s definitely been in the family since before then. How my great-great grandmother got it I don’t know. It’s a strange object to have gifted anyone.
“My mother inherited it over 30 years ago. She has worn it occasionally but for the most part it’s been tucked away in a bedside drawer. We have decided to part with it now for a combination of reasons.
“Firstly, now we know how much it might be worth, my mother is concerned about insurance. Also, if it does turn out to be worth what Geoffrey suggested, that’s a heck of a lot of money at a time when my mother doesn’t have much. She’s just turned 78 and I want her to spend the rest of her life enjoying herself. If the sale of the brooch enables that to happen, then it’s worth an awful lot more to me than it is sitting in a drawer. I love it and think it’s a beautiful object, but I wouldn’t wear it, and it seems a terrible shame for it to be hidden away.”
Helen Smith, Head of Jewellery at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “What a find! I was thrilled when Helen got in touch. The brooch is a miniature work of art, extraordinary and beautiful. It’s so rare, I’ve never handled an example like it before.
“Collectors will be fascinated by its depiction of a gryllus, a mythical creature. The name Gryllus is derived from the Italic word ‘Grillo’ (freak) and the Latin word ‘Gryllus’ (caricature). These fanciful creations were popular subjects in Ancient Rome and were often carved into gemstones. Though these grotesque depictions were amusing, they had more serious connotations. It was believed they protected whoever wore them against demonic spirits.
“It’s a wonderfully intricate object. The carving depicts three conjoined heads, two classical figures and a wild boar’s head. The cream ground highlights the dark and light intricacy of the carving. The attention to detail is incredible. The agate itself measures only 20mm x 17mm and is set within a later gold and pearl-set mount dating to circa 1840s.
“Agate stone symbolises strength, protection and courage. It’s often associated with emotional stability, inner calm and self-confidence. So both the choice of decoration and the material used to make it may have been interlinked. A mythical beast to scare away demons made out of a material believed to calm the wearer.
“For any jewellery connoisseur this brooch is exceptional. It also acts as a reminder to reach into those dusty corners, empty those drawers and look under the bed. So often, these are where the best auction finds are made.”
The brooch will be offered in the June 27 Fine Art Auction at Hansons Auctioneers, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire.
To find out more, or to book a free jewellery, silver or watch valuation, email [email protected] or call 01283 733988.
