Tudor Heart Pendant
| Tudor Heart Pendant | |
|---|---|
Tudor Heart Pendant on display at the British Museum | |
| Material | 24-carat Gold |
| Created | Early 16th century[1] |
| Period/culture | Early Modern Britain |
| Discovered | 2019 Warwickshire |
| Present location | British Museum |
The Tudor Heart Pendant is an early 16th century gold jewel associated with the marriage of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The pendant, decorated with the Tudor rose and Catherine’s pomegranate emblem, was discovered in Warwickshire in 2019 by a metal detectorist and declared treasure under the Treasure Act 1996. After a public fundraising campaign, it was acquired by the British Museum in 2026.
Description
The pendant is a heart-shaped gold jewel dating to the early 16th century and associated with King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The pendant is made of 24-carat gold and is suspended from a chain of 75 links.[1][2]
The front of the pendant is decorated with a red and white Tudor rose alongside a pomegranate bush, the personal emblem of Catherine of Aragon. The reverse bears the initials “H” and “K,” referring to Henry and Catherine. A banner across the pendant carries the inscription “TOVS IORS,” a stylized form of the French word toujours (“always”), interpreted as a pun meaning “always” or “all yours.”[1][3][4]
Discovery
The pendant was discovered in 2019 in Warwickshire by metal detectorist Charlie Clarke, who had taken up the hobby only six months earlier. After uncovering the object in a cultivated field, Clarke reported the find in accordance with the Treasure Act 1996.[1][2][3]
Curators at the British Museum described the pendant as one of the most significant Renaissance jewelry finds discovered in Britain in more than two decades.[2][3]
Research and interpretation
Initial research conducted by the British Museum identified the pendant as an early 16th-century object connected with Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Scientific analysis confirmed the authenticity of the jewel, although no documentary evidence has been found linking it directly to either monarch.[1][5]
One hypothesis suggests that the pendant may have been produced for a court tournament or ceremonial celebration. Scholars have proposed that it could have been created for festivities marking the 1518 betrothal of the couple’s daughter, Princess Mary, to the French dauphin. Such elaborate “costume jewelry” was sometimes commissioned by Henry VIII for court festivities and tournaments.[2][5]
Acquisition by the British Museum
After being declared treasure, the pendant was valued at £3.5 million. The British Museum launched a public fundraising campaign to acquire the object for the national collection, which concluded in February 2026.[1][3]
More than 45,000 members of the public contributed to the appeal, raising approximately £360,000. Additional funding was provided by organizations including the Art Fund and the American Friends of the British Museum. Following the successful campaign, the museum acquired the pendant in 2026, after which it went on display and is expected to tour museums across the United Kingdom.[1]
Gallery
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Detail of the pendant
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Another view of the necklace and pendant
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Thorsberg, Christian. "A Metal Detectorist Unearthed This Heart-Shaped Tudor Pendant. Now, the British Museum Has Raised Millions to Put It on Public Display". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Metal detectorist unearths Tudor gold pendant linked to Henry VIII in Warwickshire". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d "British Museum Raises $4.8 Million to Snag Rare Tudor Pendant". Artnet News. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ Foster, Aurelia. "British Museum to keep pendant linked to Henry VIII". BBC news. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ a b "British Museum to save exquisite Henry VIII pendant for the nation". British Museum. Retrieved 5 March 2026.