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Lot 370
A Chinese scholar's rock, 19th-early 20th century, of upright irregular form, the stone of a dark grey colour with veining and inclusions, fitted wood stand, the stone 19.2cm high; and another Chinese scholar's rock, 20th century, 32.5cm long (2)清供石两件Condition Report: the upright rock broken and gluedCondition Report Disclaimer
Lot 377
A Chinese white jade 'Mandarin duck' pendant, Ming Dynasty, details carved in low relief and drilled to the back of the duck, 3.8cm long x 2.8cm highProvenance: The late J.B. da Silva (1918-2003) and then by family descent.明 白玉鸭拍品来源：前英国外务部官员J.B. da Silva (1918-2003) 私人收藏Condition Report: Natural stone faults and inclusions, wear to the surface commensurate to ageCondition Report Disclaimer
Lot 169
The Lowe Family 17th Century Gold Signet Ring. Circa, 1600-1650 AD. Gold, 17.8 grams. 29 mm. A very impressive finger ring formed of a large flat oval bezel set with a beautiful purple-blue Chalcedony intaglio. The face of the intaglio is engraved with the image of three candlesticks and the letters G L (reversed). Each candlestick is well formed with a flat base, two large collars between five smaller collars and a socket at the top that holds a lit candle. The central candlestick is larger and divides the initials. The three candlesticks are a symbol of mourning with many meanings across various religions but in most cases they represent, the life, death and rebirth of the persons soul. The ring shank is D-shaped in section with wide shoulders that flank the bezel. Each shoulder is engraved with floral strap-work that terminates beneath a beaded band around the side of the bezel. The lower section of the shank has a deliberate bend in the centre that pushes an arch inwards, possibly to reduce the ring size to fit a smaller finger. This could also support the theory that the ring was passed down from Geoffrey Lowe to his niece Elizabeth. For similar ring see. Ref: C.C.Oman, Catalogue of Rings 1930. p.95. Plate XXIV, no. 563. PAS: DENO-B87439. 2018T311.The fascinating story of the Casterne Hall Ring:In February 2018 an amazing discovery took place in the grounds of Casterne Hall, close to the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border. The finder was digging a strong signal when he came upon a large round, flat stone. Lifting the stone from the hole, his eyes fell upon a mammoth gem-set finger ring which appeared to have been deliberately concealed beneath. This high carat gold ring weighs a whopping 17.8g and is 29mm diameter, the British Museum has dated it to the period 1600-1650. The purple-blue Chalcedony intaglio appears to glow in sunlight with the gold backing shining through the carving.Casterne Hall has been home of the Hurt family since the 16th century and current owner Charles Hurt tells us. ‘'In 1670 my direct ancestors Nicholas Hurt and Elizabeth Lowe married, linking the estates of Casterne and Alderwasley in Derbyshire. The Lowes and their ancestors had been given Alderwasley by the King in the 13th Century. So one obvious candidate for the 'L' on the ring is Lowe.’ Through the family tree I tracked down a few potential Lowes from the right period, the most likely being Geoffrey Lowe who died in 1637. According to records, he was buried in the village of Denby, Derbyshire. The church was built in the 12th century, incorporating parts of the earlier saxon church which stood on the site. The Lowe family have been squires of this church since the 15th century, covering the cost of renovations, and inside is a very impressive alabaster memorial commemorating Patrick Lowe (d. 1616) and his wife Jane. I was not able to find any gravestone for Geoffrey but nevertheless this had been a fascinating journey through local history. One theory is that the ring was passed down to Elizabeth by her uncle John Lowe and hidden during the dispute over John’s will following his death in 1690. Family legend has long carried tales of buried treasure at Casterne, was this it or is there more still out there?
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