Nelson & His World

Up for auction this Thursday, a double sided locket supposed to contain Nelson's hair in one side, and Emma's in the other, and to pre-date Nelson's Bronte title:

http://www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk/Lot/? ... 1&Lot=1423

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/ ... on_s_hair/

Is it or isn't it?

If it is, why such a low estimate?

The Google link below has a quote from the auction house saying that they are 'sure it is right' and have had experts look at it. Not that that makes it a certainty, by any means; but auctioneers are usually pretty circumspect, and have their own codes and signals for flagging up doubts. If they say a painting is by 'Romney' for example, that means they're not totally sure. If they say it's by 'George Romney', that means they are confident and have good provenance to confirm their opinion.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... found.html

I'm inclined to think it's genuine: a faker might have been tempted to over-egg the pudding with an elaborate inscription. That low estimate is a come-on, I think, to draw in the punters. The auctioneers have admitted it will probably go for much more. Remember the mourning ring with the estimate of £1500 that went for £22,000 including premium?

Right, Mark. I've got my tin hat on and await your bombardment.

What a strange and interesting one!

It's a really attractive item and looks to come from the right era.

For me it still doesn't feel quite right. But having said that if it wasn't Nelson or Emma who had it made - then who did - and why??!!

The thing that swings it for me is that it was never mentioned in any contemporary report or inventory of either Nelson's or Emma's goods.

So yet again my cheque book stays closed.

MB

Sold for £44,000

Just a thought - could this have been Nelson and his wife's hair? After all, Nelson was still keeping up a pretence/making his mind up between the two women 1798/99. Fanny had dark hair too. Having said that, it does have that rather extravagant, expensive feel to it that Emma seemed to like.

Caitlin

Well, what a thought! If Nelson ever presented it to Fanny, I'm sure it would have been mentioned by her at some point. Maybe it never was given to her and was disposed of by Nelson when Emma entered his life. Alas, it seems we shall never know. Apparently, according to a Google Alert I received this morning, the locket 'was bought by London jewellers Sandra Cronan on behalf of "an important collector," '

A further bit of information about the locket (taken from a Google link to save you scrolling though a long screed):

Jonathan Edwards of the auction house Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury said: 'Oddly, it came from Australia and the family who owned it had relatives in Portsmouth and it was through them that we got it.'

Not very revelatory, I agree; but interesting that the relatives were in Portsmouth as opposed to somewhere with no naval or Nelsonan connection (though they might not have been there since 1800 or had any earlier connection with the locket.) Still, I thought you'd like to know.

A further clarification regarding the discovery of the locket: it was not found in Australia but in a house in Portsmouth inherited by an Australian couple.

http://blog.christiandaviesantiques.co. ... -1198.html