Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A medieval pewter livery Collar, known as the Heyford collar, late 15th-early 16th century, comprising 24 S-shaped pewter studs, together with a medieval open lozenge pendant with trefoil corners, later mounted to a leather strap, length of S-shaped studs range between 11mm-13mm, dimensions of pendant: width 42.5mm x height 35mm. £600-1000

Dating from the 14th to 16th centuries, medieval collars of esses or livery collars are not common survivors today; however the medieval monumental effigies and brasses that fill our cathedrals display many examples. Some of these collars comprise chains of S-shaped links whilst others, such as this example, appear to be composed of studs set into a ribbon or leather collar, with a loop or pendant joining the two ends at the front. For further examples of this form see the window of St Paul’s Church, London, opposite the monument of John Duke of Lancaster and also examples in the British Museum (ref: 1856,0701.2124) and the Museum of London (ref: A295).

In his research into this collar S.G. Pulley notes:
The [livery] badge was an emblematic or heraldic figure, sewn or fixed upon some prominent part of the dress of soldiers or servants to declare visibly the household or service to which they belonged. The collar however, was a distinction given to the persons of greater rank or importance, but very frequently to many who never attained the grade of knighthood, only esquire (an esquire being ranked immediately below a knight) although [] it is not unusual to find reference made of ‘the order of the knights of the S’.

The Museum of London notes that ‘The Lancastrian kings, Henry IV-VI , gave their chief supporters silver or gold collars made up of links in the form of the letter S. Less favoured supporters wore similarly shaped pewter badges.’

This collar group was discovered in Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire in the early 1990s and was seen and dated by Dr John Cherry, then Deputy Keeper of Medieval and Later Antiquities at the British Museum. A copy of the letter from Dr Cherry dated 28th August 1992 is included in this lot, together with a selection of research material on livery collar necklaces.