Jewellery, Watches, Silver & Objects of Vertu

A rare 17th century Charles I silver vervel or hawking ring, the shield-shaped bezel finely engraved with Royal coat of arms, comprising (clockwise) the rampant lion of Scotland, the lions of England and fleur-de-lis of France quartered, the harp of Ireland, and finally quartered arms of England and France repeated, the hoop engraved to the exterior in italics ‘Charles . King’, diameter 10mm. £2,000-£3,000

This vervel was found in spoil heaps taken from Billingsgate in the city of London, circa 1982. Upon recent cleaning, the details of the shield and inscription became clear. The Tower of London is close to Billingsgate, and it is likely that Charles I would have kept a number of his birds of prey there. Vervels have been recorded for Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, James I and now Charles I, together with a significant number of hawking rings belonging to titled individuals, displaying their family crest. One known example of a vervel belonging to Charles I is held at the British Museum, Number 2000,0701.1 and also displays the Stuart Royal arms.

Vervels were attached to a jess or thin strap made of leather which was the tether for the bird. Falconry was a popular sport amongst nobility in the 16th and 17th centuries using trained birds of prey to hunt small game such as rabbits.