Bull's ear, from a bullfight at the Pamplona Festival of 1926; bestowed
by
Pedro Romero upon Lady Ashley Brett as a token of his loyalty, respect,
and affection. An honorable and talented matador, Romero managed
to
overcome the beast despite the fact that on the preceding evening
he had
been injured in a quarrel over the Lady Brett, a coquettish alcoholic
whose
affairs of the heart were not limited to the conquest of Romero
himself. The
ear, which did not, apparently, hold as much significance for Lady
Brett as
it did for Romero, was eventually discovered by her daughter in
an old steamer
trunk lodged in an attic. Acquired in 1964 by the Hope Hamling
Foundation,
this precious object has only recently came into the possession
of the Subtly-Askew
Museum.
Back to the Museum