Tag: Painting

Overview of Mourning Miniture Portraits

Personal identity and representing the family in jewellery and objects is as much a nationalistic symbol, as it is one of self pride. The rise in popularity of the miniature portrait has a direct line to royal patronage and suits the changing value of the upper class. With the Renaissance offering a new way of… Continue reading Overview of Mourning Miniture Portraits

Neoclassical Mourning Locket & Royalty, 1821

Locket with miniature of Caroline Polyxene, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel-Rumpenheim (1762-1821) c.1821

Having privilege in wealth is not required for mourning jewels, but it certainly helps. The range of quality in bespoke jewels is only limited by resource accessibility and wealth. For royalty, the quality tends to be of the highest level and these are the best jewels to identify for their specific time and age. This… Continue reading Neoclassical Mourning Locket & Royalty, 1821

Mourning Jewels: How They Were Worn, Part 2

c.1861 Photograph of Princess Alice, standing while resting her left elbow on some books piled on a console table with a mirror reflecting the left side of her head and her left hand. Princess Alice became engaged to Prince Louis of Hesse on 30 November 1860; their marriage took place in July 1862, having been postponed because of the death of the Prince Consort in December 1861. The Princess is wearing mourning in this photograph for her grandmother, the Duchess of Kent, who had died four months previously. Provenance Acquired by Queen Victoria

The wearing of 18th century mourning jewellery set the template for numerous revivals through to the 20th century. The 19th century was the catalyst to popularise the mourning industry so much so that it created its own industry and became a part of popular fashion. Much of our modern understanding of Western religious and social ceremony comes from these periods, expanding… Continue reading Mourning Jewels: How They Were Worn, Part 2

Skulls, Rings, the 19th Century… What We Must Ask

The skull in depiction is a good way of understanding whether or not a mourning jewel is all it claims to be. As a collector, one has to be careful that there is no room for error when buying a piece, this is often overlooked, as many pieces can interest just due to their beauty… Continue reading Skulls, Rings, the 19th Century… What We Must Ask