Tuesday 16th July 2019

Historic Decoration has teamed-up with Fellows to look at a key aspect of historic decoration - jewellery, as a way of decorating one’s person, as well as its role in historic portraiture.

Join Historic Decoration and Fellows Auctioneers at Syon House. Set amid rolling parkland, Robert Adam’s Syon House is one of the last great country houses in Greater London.

Sentimental Jewels will be a fascinating day with access to the house and its history. A talk from Art of Mourning’s captivating Hayden Peters will explore the sentimentality of jewellery over the last 500 years and the hidden meaning behind certain objects. 

After a break for lunch, you will tour the magnificent house, led by interior designer Caroline Percy and architectural historian Oliver Gerrish from Historic Decoration.

You will have a chance to relax over tea in the beautiful Green Drawing room with our hosts and speakers. Fellows will be providing some gorgeous period jewellery for you to try on in the context of this great house.

Itinerary

• 10 am - Arrive Syon Park for tea and coffee

• 10.30 am - 12 pm –Talk given by Hayden Peters on Sentimental Jewels.

• 12.30 pm - Lunch in the Garden Kitchen Restaurant 

• 1.30 pm - Tour of Syon House with Caroline Percy, Oliver Gerrish and Hayden Peters

• 3 pm - Tea in the Green Drawing Room accompanied by a display of historic jewellery

Sentimental Jewels

Mourning and sentimental jewellery historian and lecturer Hayden Peters, will take you through 500 years of jewellery history. Discover how mourning fashion, culture and art defined a person in society as well as the many hidden meanings behind pieces of jewellery. You will join Hayden as he travels from 1400 to the present day, exploring how and why jewellery was worn.

Tour of Syon House

Syon House is the last surviving ducal residence complete with its country estate in Greater London. You will learn about the Percy family’s history at Syon and discover how the house has evolved over the last 500 years. While being led through the magnificent building, you will get a chance to take a closer look at some of the jewellery in the splendid family and royal portraits that adorn the walls.

More information

Historic Decoration

Founded in 2016, by Caroline Percy and Oliver Gerrish, Historic Decoration runs study days and talks exploring all aspects of the history of British interior design. The speakers are established experts in their respective fields and they explore the evolution of interiors through the centuries with a view to decorating a period home in the context of the 21st century. For the amateur as well as the professional, Historic Decoration events provide a forum to offer practical advice amidst magnificent surroundings.

Hayden Peters - Art of Mourning

Hayden Peters is a Jewellery Historian, Lecturer and Experience Designer. He is an authority on the topic of mourning and sentimental jewellery, which is his primary passion. He founded the Art of Mourning website in 2005 as his teaching platform to share knowledge and educate about this important part of history between the years 1400-1920. The website reaches thousands of international students and collectors daily, with over 800 articles detailing the history of early-modern society, politics, design and fashion. Hayden has appeared on television, appeared in international publications, museum installations and written for academic publications. 

Fellows Auctioneers

Specialising in watches, fine jewellery and designer accessories, Fellows is one of the UK’s leading auction houses. Fellows was founded in Birmingham in 1876. A sixth-generation family-run firm of auctioneers, Fellows have been providing specialist valuations for over 140 years. With locations in Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter and London’s Mayfair, Fellows also hosts events for its customers and friends, including private viewings, tours and lectures series.