Because we’re revisiting some fashion this week, let’s take another look at this spectacular miniature: Let me begin today’s lesson by stating that to some degree, mourning jewels are fundamentally sentimental and quite personal. There is little to no doubt about that. Grief isn’t something that can be measured by price, it’s not an affectation… Continue reading Property of a Lady: 18th Century Costume, Mourning and Art in a Neoclassical Miniature
Tag: Costume
Property of a Lady: 18th Century Costume, Mourning and Art in a Neoclassical Miniature
This piece is pained on ivory, measured 1.75 (4.3cm) by 2.25 (6.8cm) inches (loop excluded), set in rose gold. We have a young woman looking up to the cherub carrying the scroll with the writing ‘TO BLISS’, behind her is the willow (gief) and to the distance are the cypress trees pointing their way towards the heavens. In front, we have urn resting on a plinth with ‘SACRED TO THE BEST OF FRIENDS’. All this is painted in hushed sepia tones, except for the cherub and female. On the reverse, we have tightly woven hairwork.
Stunning References in the KCI Digital Archives
I promised some ephemera and that’s on the way soon, but in the meantime, have a look at the amazing costume archive from the 1750s to the 1990s at The Kyoto Costume Institute. Of course, if you collect jewellery and art, fashion is part of what you need to understand in order to see how… Continue reading Stunning References in the KCI Digital Archives
Accessories?
I often get asked the question about memorial and sentimental accessories. What is the definition of this? Well, that’s largely subjective, people may consider the jewellery to be an accessory of clothing, others perhaps the other way around. Some consider the accoutrements on the periphery of fashion or the transient items that follow a short… Continue reading Accessories?