Lot 73
A diamond and blue enamelled brooch in the shape of a key
with a hair remembrance in the form of a lover's knot at head
Auction: 5 December 2002 at 12:00 GMT
Description
a red enamelled heart at base, and a motif 'j'ouvre' outlined along the length of the key.Mounted in silver and gold
Footnote
Provenance: Miss Farquhar of Lowndes, Street, London; thence by descent to Mrs John Ponsonby; acquired from the estate of Charles Clive-Ponsonby-Fane at the sale of the contents of Brympton d'Evercy, Somerset, 17th April 1969.
Note: In 1969 this key, part of a collection of ten Stuart Relics formed in the 19th century by Miss Lowndes, was said to be 'one of a pair exchanged by Prince Charles Edward and Flora Macdonald' and the lover's knot was believed to be made from the hair of both. It sold for £850, then a very significant sum.
The key was exhibited at the enormous and influential Exhibition of the Royal House of Stuart held at the New Gallery, Regent Street, London, in 1886, item 591. It was described simply as a 'Key Brooch of Prince Charles Edward, given to Flora Macdonald'. Prince Charles's famous Targe, now one of the Jacobite highlights in the collection of the National Museums of Scotland was item 586 of this exhibition, and was described in similarly sparse terms.
It is hard to draw any firm conclusions from this other than that the key has had a long association with Flora. The relics uncontestably associated with Charles's flight from Skye are all of an uncompromisingly plain nature, and there is no current evidence of Charles and Flora's relationship lasting longer than his few days on Skye, or of them being lovers. Nevertheless, Flora subsequently moved to London to capitalise on her fame and the age of the key suggests that it may be associated with this period. Whether Charles sent it to her as a token of appreciation, whether it was given to her by a thankful Jacobite or admirer, or whether it contains his or her hair can only remain a matter of speculation.