Slide
1775-1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Memorial jewellery to honour the dead is one of the largest categories of 18th- century jewellery to survive. From 1760 there was a new vogue for memorial medallions or lockets. These became especially popular in Britain, though similar work was produced throughout Europe.
The lockets could be bought ready made, and the designs were standardised. Neo-classical motifs of funerary urns, plinths and obelisks joined the more traditional cherubs, angels and weeping willows. Hair was preserved as curls within the locket or cut up and used to create designs.
Not all sentimental jewellery is associated with death. Some pieces express love, friendship and devotion for the living or act as a visual keepsake.
The lockets could be bought ready made, and the designs were standardised. Neo-classical motifs of funerary urns, plinths and obelisks joined the more traditional cherubs, angels and weeping willows. Hair was preserved as curls within the locket or cut up and used to create designs.
Not all sentimental jewellery is associated with death. Some pieces express love, friendship and devotion for the living or act as a visual keepsake.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, silver, rose cut diamonds with seed pearls, mother of pearl and blue enamel |
| Brief description | Gold brooch,silver, rose-cut diamonds, seed pearls, mother of pearl, enamel, hair and gold mounted on blue enamel, France, 1775-1800 |
| Physical description | Gold brooch, silver, rose cut diamonds, set with a basket of flowers in seed pearls, mother of pearl and gold mounted on blue enamel. |
| Dimensions |
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| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Memorial jewellery to honour the dead is one of the largest categories of 18th- century jewellery to survive. From 1760 there was a new vogue for memorial medallions or lockets. These became especially popular in Britain, though similar work was produced throughout Europe. The lockets could be bought ready made, and the designs were standardised. Neo-classical motifs of funerary urns, plinths and obelisks joined the more traditional cherubs, angels and weeping willows. Hair was preserved as curls within the locket or cut up and used to create designs. Not all sentimental jewellery is associated with death. Some pieces express love, friendship and devotion for the living or act as a visual keepsake. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1726-1869 |
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| Record created | July 18, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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