A parcel-gilt bezoar stone holder,

of two halves fitting together with a moulded gilt girdle
making a near-spherical form,
decorated with pierced and engraved silver scrollwork
on a gilt ground, each end with a gilt flower head,
the interior with a plain silver liner.

The name bezoar stone is derived from the Persian
word pa(d)zhar meaning 'antidote against poison'.
According to legend, the bezoar stone was found
in the stomach of the unicorn and was prized by rulers
for its protection against poison and illness.

Unmarked, Circa 1680

Height 4.8 cm
Diameter 4.5 cm

Literature:

A similar example is illustrated in The Art of the Jeweller:
A Catalogue of the Hull Grundy Gift to the British Museum,
edited by Hugh Tait (London, 1984)

Exhibited:

'Faith and Fortune: Five Centuries of European Masterworks'
2nd March to 9th December, 2007
at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Connecticut.