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Lot Essay
Bezoar stone, which is a calcified concretion found in the stomachs of ruminants such as goats, camels and antelopes, was prized for its supposed medicinal properties as well as being believed to act as an antidote to poison. It used to be thought that the rarer the animal, the greater the power of the bezoar. The name comes from the Persian padzahr, meaning "to expel poison".
From the Middle Ages on, the bezoar stone was believed to protect from diseases and poisoning. Elizabeth I of England wore rings inset with bezoar stones as did one of her suitors, Eric XIV of Sweden.
The scarcity of bezoar stones by the 17th century led a group of Portuguese Jesuits working in Goa to come up with a man made version. These so called 'Goa Stones' were a mixture of bezoar as well as other precious objects believed to have curative powers.
Until the beginning of the 18th century, when medical authorities began to debunk the belief in these stones, they could sell for more than their weight in gold and were often contained in precious cases such as the example offered here.
A similar example, described as English, was sold Christie's London, 19 November 2003, lot 136. A smaller comparable example, formerly the property of the late Charlotte von Prybra,-Gladona, sold at Christie's, Amsterdam, 15-16 February 2005. There are also several examples in gold and silver-gilt in the collection of the British Museum.
From the Middle Ages on, the bezoar stone was believed to protect from diseases and poisoning. Elizabeth I of England wore rings inset with bezoar stones as did one of her suitors, Eric XIV of Sweden.
The scarcity of bezoar stones by the 17th century led a group of Portuguese Jesuits working in Goa to come up with a man made version. These so called 'Goa Stones' were a mixture of bezoar as well as other precious objects believed to have curative powers.
Until the beginning of the 18th century, when medical authorities began to debunk the belief in these stones, they could sell for more than their weight in gold and were often contained in precious cases such as the example offered here.
A similar example, described as English, was sold Christie's London, 19 November 2003, lot 136. A smaller comparable example, formerly the property of the late Charlotte von Prybra,-Gladona, sold at Christie's, Amsterdam, 15-16 February 2005. There are also several examples in gold and silver-gilt in the collection of the British Museum.