Bonhams Auctions Historic Emerald

RAPAPORT… A historic emerald given to Lady Mary Hood Mackenzie by
Mughal Emperor Akbar II in 1813 will go under the hammer at Bonhams, the auction
house said Tuesday.



The Art Deco, Persian-engraved, octagonal-cut Colombian
emerald brooch is set in a frame of black enamel and brilliant and single-cut
diamonds, mounted in platinum. The piece, believed to have been created around
1925 by British jewelry designer Hennell, will be offered at auction for the
first time at the September 24 sale in London. Together with its original
leather case, and set with a brass plaque engraved by Emperor Akbar, the brooch
is estimated at GBP 40,000 to GBP 60,000 ($49,856 to $75,785).



Hood Mackenzie was the daughter and heiress of Francis
Humbertson Mackenzie, chief of Clan Mackenzie of the Scottish Highlands, and
the last Baron Seaforth. She was prominent in British high society, and was
friends with the duchess of Wellington and the princess of Wales. 


She was also close with noted poet and novelist Sir Walter
Scott, and was the inspiration for his character Ellen Douglas in The Lady
of the Lake.


Lady Mary’s youngest daughter, Louisa Baring, Lady
Ashburton, inherited the piece from her mother, and it continued to make its
way through the generations to the current owner.


“[The jewel] has been passed down the female line of the
family since Mary Hood’s death, and is the first time it has been offered for
sale on the open market,” said Emily Barber, Bonhams UK jewelry director. “The
Art Deco jewel perfectly encapsulates the early 20th-century vogue
for Indian-inspired jewelry that resonated particularly in England due to
Britain’s colonial interests.”


Bonhams has already previewed the piece in New York and
Geneva. It is currently on view in Hong Kong, prior to its move to London on
Friday.



Image: The Mary Hood emerald (top); Mary Hood Mackenzie (right). (Bonhams)