Jewellery, Objects of Vertu, Silver and Watches

An early 20th century reverse painted crystal intaglio stickpin, depicting the head of the chestnut stallion, ‘Star of the East’, within a ropetwist and beaded surround, mounted in gold, cased, terminal diameter 18mm. £500-£800

Star of the East was an American racehorse famed in the early 1900s.


Foaled in 1906, his owner was Harry Payne Whitney (1872-1930), American businessman and thoroughbred horse breeder and member of the prominent Whitney family.

Eldest son of William C. Whitney, the United States Secretary of the Navy, Harry married Gertrude Vanderbilt in 1896. Having inherited a vast fortune from his father and uncle, Harry was reputedly ‘one of the richest men in America’. (New York Times, 27 October 1930).

An avid sportsman, Harry was a major figure in thoroughbred racing. His horse, Star of the East, was a high‑class handicap horse, trained by James Rowe Sr., and raced against the best of his generation, primarily between the years 1909 - 1911. The horse appears in American racing histories and is mentioned alongside Whitney’s successful winners, including Whisk Broom II and Borrow.

Gross weight 4.8gm.