A forgotten casket that once bore the “heart” of an Angus burgh to JM Barrie will return to the county after 75 years.
The silver casket, which housed a note offering the freedom of Kirriemuir to the famous author in 1930, sold for £7,200 at auction in Somerset.
Angus Council contributed £1,000 towards the bid with the remainder coming from national acquisitions funding and an arts grant. Heavy interest in the item from overseas bidders pushed the price well above the predicted £3,000 threshold.
The Scottish silver and enamel Freedom Casket, made by Brook & Son of Edinburgh in 1929, will now be kept in Kirriemuir Museum.
The front is decorated in enamel with the arms of Kirriemuir within a rectangular reserve, while the sides feature five further panels depicting the town’s museum; the pavilion and camera obscura; the window at Thrums and Peter Pan.
A hinged cover, flanked by Celtic knots, reads: “Presented By The Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of The Burgh of Kirriemuir, along with the Burgess Ticket Conferring The Freedom of The Burgh of Barony And Regality of Kirriemuir on Sir James Matthew Barrie Baronet, O.M., 7th June 1930, Henry Ernest Peacock Esquire, Provost.”
The green velvet lined interior contains the corresponding manuscript signed by the Provost and the town clerk.