British Museum Raises $4.8 Million to Snag Rare Tudor Pendant

"The British Museum has successfully raised £3.5 million ($4.8 million) to acquire a golden "Tudor Heart" pendant that offers rare insights into King Henry VIII's ill-fated first marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The treasure, which speaks to chivalric love and courtly splendor, will enter the London museum's permanent collection and is also expected to tour the U.K. "This beautiful survivor tells us about a piece of English history few of us knew, but in which we can all now share," said the British Museum's director Nicholas Cullinan."

"The 24-carat treasure was discovered in buried in the rural English countryside in 2019 by a metal detectorist. The astonishingly rare find was handed over to the British Museum in accordance with the U.K.'s Treasure Act 1996, and was quickly identified as one of the most significant 16th-century pieces to have ever been unearthed in Britain."

"Researchers at the museum connected the dazzling piece of jewelry to Henry VII and Catherine of Aragon's marriage thanks to the initials "H" and "K" which adorn the reverse side. The front of the pendant is also decorated with the Tudor Rose and a pomegranate bush. The fruit was a personal emblem of Catherine of Aragon's, representing fertility at her homeland of Spain."

The British Museum raised £3.5 million ($4.8 million) to acquire a 24-carat gold Tudor Heart pendant linked to King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The pendant was found buried in rural England in 2019 by a metal detectorist and declared under the U.K.'s Treasure Act 1996. Researchers identified initials "H" and "K" on the reverse and motifs on the front including the Tudor Rose and a pomegranate, Catherine's emblem of fertility. The museum launched a public campaign last autumn to keep the piece from private sale, reached its target ahead of April, and announced success by Valentine's Day. The pendant will become part of the permanent collection and is expected to tour the U.K.

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