A gold heart-shaped mourning pendant depicted in a celebrated 1635 English portrait has resurfaced after four centuries, its owners having only recently recognised its significance. The jewel appears in Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife, a life-size masterpiece by Cheshire painter John Souch now housed at Manchester Art Gallery, where it was made to commemorate the death of Aston's six-year-old son Robert; its tassel was crafted from the boy's own hair, and Latin inscriptions on its surface — invisible in the painting — speak of a father's grief. Valued at £650,000 and described by historian Martyn Downer as extraordinarily rare, the pendant will be unveiled publicly at the Treasure House Fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea (a historic landmark in London) from 24 to 30 June, with Manchester Art Gallery expressing hope that it may one day be reunited with the painting.