The Star

A baby shark being prepared for lunch gave a family here a big surprise an ancient artifact believed to be dated long before the Portuguese conquest of Malacca.

It is believed to be a medallion worn by the Portuguese soldiers, presumably as a divine protection, during their conquests in this part of the world in the 16th century.

One side of the medallion is a profile of a woman's head with a crown and encircled by a halo and an inscription that is unclear.

The other side is a crucifix with an engraved inscription that read ANTONII.

Checks with a local historian revealed the head engraving could be that of Queen Elizabeth, the consort of King Denis I of Portugal during his reign from 1271 to 1336.

Suseela said she immediately cleaned the medallion and preserved it in a box.

"I bought two sharks from the wet market and was taken aback upon discovering the object inside the stomach of one of the fishes," said the 47-year-old mother-of-two at her home yesterday.

Suseela had wanted to prepare shark curry for her husband.

"Finally, my husband decided not to eat the fish as the object seems to be a religious item," she said.

The medallion is 7.4cm long, 6cm wide and weighs 10g.

"My husband feels it is a blessing for the family to have the medallion coming to our home from beneath the sea. We will always cherish it," said Suseela.

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