One of the most difficult concepts to gasp when identifying and appreciating mourning jewels is trying to separate the emotional context from the facts of the piece. In most cases, a simple evaluation can extrapolate what the jewel is, when it was created and who it was created for. These jewels are monuments, fashionable tombstones… Continue reading A French Mourning Pendant in 1787 For A Child
Tag: miniature
French Hair Art & The Industry of Mourning
“Hair is at once the most delicate and lasting of our materials and survives us like love. It is so light, so gentle, so escaping from the idea of death, that, with a lock of hair belonging to a child or friend, we may almost look to to Heaven and compare notes with angelic nature,… Continue reading French Hair Art & The Industry of Mourning
‘A Parents Loss’ Mourning Miniature
It is often when appreciating a mourning jewel that the nature of the subject gets lost. The beauty of a jewel, the artistry and the quality all define the appreciation, but the most grounding element is always in the dedication. With the dedication in this miniature, we see the personal statement of combined loss –… Continue reading ‘A Parents Loss’ Mourning Miniature
Neoclassical Influences on Later Jewellery
With the high level of accessible and affordable travel in the early 20th century, there was a rise in sentimental tokens being produced in high quantities to be given to loved ones while travelling, or bringing home as a remembrance of the voyage. Combined with the new Romantic movement that looked towards the 18th and… Continue reading Neoclassical Influences on Later Jewellery