The legendary Masquerade Hare, a jewelled golden pendant that captivated Britain with a nationwide treasure hunt in the late 1970s, is set to go under the hammer for the first time in nearly four decades. The iconic piece carries a pre-sale estimate of £15,000 to £20,000.
The Hunt That Captivated a Nation
Artist and author Kit Williams created the sensation with his 1979 picture book, Masquerade. The book was not just celebrated for its exquisite oil paintings and charming story of Jack Hare's quest to deliver treasure from the moon to the sun. It became a publishing phenomenon because it contained a series of intricate clues leading to the real-life location of a treasure he had crafted and buried.
In 1979, Williams, alongside former University Challenge presenter Bamber Gascoigne, secretly interred the 18-carat gold jewel in the Bedfordshire countryside. The location was near a cross-shaped monument dedicated to Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. The hare, adorned with gemstones, was hidden inside a terracotta casket inscribed with the words: "I am the keeper of the jewel of the Masquerade, which lies waiting safe inside me for you… or eternity."
A Controversial Discovery and Disappearance
The treasure, originally valued at £5,000, was meant to be found only by those who could decipher the complex riddles in the book. In 1982, two physics teachers from Manchester successfully solved the puzzle, but they were too late. The hare had already been claimed by another seeker. It later emerged that this individual had not solved the clues fairly but had received an approximate location through a connection with Williams's former girlfriend.
After its controversial discovery, the hare vanished from public view. It was acquired by an anonymous overseas buyer in the late 1980s and remained in a private collection until 2009. That year, Williams was finally reunited with his creation for a BBC Four documentary, The Man Behind The Masquerade, after producers tracked the owner down to Egypt.
The Hare's Legacy and Upcoming Sale
Crafted in 1978 as Williams finalised his book, the Masquerade Hare is a unique piece of art. It features a distinctive ruby eye and intricate depictions of a rodent, a bird, and a frog. The necklace will be offered in Sotheby’s London Fine Jewels Sale, an online auction concluding on Friday, November 28.
The sale will also feature other notable items, including Elizabeth Taylor’s turquoise cuff, estimated at £5,000 to £7,000, and a diamond and imitation pearl necklace once owned by the author Dame Barbara Cartland. The return of the Masquerade Hare to the public eye marks a new chapter for one of Britain's most enchanting pieces of modern folklore.
