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Allegorical Devices

Design
1795 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Designs for memorials and lockets using human hair. One of eight plates in the 'Allegorical Devices' pattern book. This plate contains thirty-seven oval-shaped designs, each numbered 1-37.

1. Funerary monument with urn. Inscribed 'I.S. Obit 4th Jan. 1783.' Poplar trees in background.
2. Funerary urn.
3. Portrait of a woman.
4. Funerary monument with basket of fruit. Inscribed 'I.C.'
5. Funerary monument shaped like an obelisk. Decorated with arrows and inscribed 'JWS.' Willow tree branches in background.
6. Monogram surrounded by a wreath.
7. A memento mori grouping. On a table, there is an hourglass, a lit candlestick, and a skull. There is a scythe resting in the foreground.
8. A landscape with two trees in the foreground and a building in the background.
9. Funerary urn inscribed 'P.M.'
10. A musical grouping with a horn, bugle, lyre, sheet music, and two masks.
11. Funerary monument with two birds. Inscribed 'T.V.'
12. A rose design.
13. An allegorical figure holding a vessel.
14. Funerary urn inscribed 'I.P.' There is a snake wrapping around the urn.
15. A design for a locket inscribed with a monogram.
16. A woman resting pensively on an anchor.
17. At the top, a bird holds a string with two hearts pierced through with an arrow. Below the hearts is a monogram and a scroll inscribed 'one mind.'
18. A woman sits beneath a willow tree with a shield resting against her leg. In the background is a ship sailing.
19. A monogram on top of a small chequered pattern of hair.
20. A landscape with trees and a ship in the distance.
21. A monogram of 'JD' on top of a large chequered pattern of hair.
22. Two winged figures next to a funerary monument inscribed 'JJ.' There is smoke rising from the monument. The standing figure holds arrows in one hand and rests a bow on top of the monument while the kneeling figure has their hands clasped.
23. A bundle of wheat design.
24. A flower basket design. Below is inscribed 'Dulcis' (sweet).
25. A mother bird sits beneath a tree with her chicks around her.
26. A figure standing in a wheat field, on top of a bundle of wheat. She holds another bundle in her right arm along with a scythe, while in her left hand is a smoking torch.
27. A monogram of 'JP' on top of a small chequered pattern of hair.
28. A landscape with a water feature in the foreground and a building in the distance.
29. A monogram of 'JJ' on top of a small chequered pattern of hair.
30. A woman nursing a child.
31. A shield with three stars and a chevron.
32. A funerary monument decorated with a beehive and inscribed with 'JB'.
33. A figure in front of a funerary monument with an urn.
34. A funerary monument with an urn and inscribed with 'JG.'
35. A figure, possibly male, mourns in front of a funerary monument with an urn and inscribed 'TW.'
36. Funerary monument with two roundels, the first inscribed 'EH' and the second 'EF.' On top, there are two flaming hearts pierced through with a single arrow.
37. A woman weeps in front of a funerary monument with an urn and decorated with a shield. Against her leg rests a large oval-shaped disk inscribed with a monogram.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Allegorical Devices (popular title)
  • A book of new & allegorical devices, for artists in general, & particularly for jewellers, enamel painters, pattern drawers &c. containing two hundred elegant historical ornamental and fancied subjects (published title)
Materials and techniques
Ink on paper
Brief description
Engraving by Garnet Terry. Plate containing designs from "Allegorical Devices" London, 1795.
Physical description
Designs for memorials and lockets using human hair. One of eight plates in the 'Allegorical Devices' pattern book. This plate contains thirty-seven oval-shaped designs, each numbered 1-37.

1. Funerary monument with urn. Inscribed 'I.S. Obit 4th Jan. 1783.' Poplar trees in background.
2. Funerary urn.
3. Portrait of a woman.
4. Funerary monument with basket of fruit. Inscribed 'I.C.'
5. Funerary monument shaped like an obelisk. Decorated with arrows and inscribed 'JWS.' Willow tree branches in background.
6. Monogram surrounded by a wreath.
7. A memento mori grouping. On a table, there is an hourglass, a lit candlestick, and a skull. There is a scythe resting in the foreground.
8. A landscape with two trees in the foreground and a building in the background.
9. Funerary urn inscribed 'P.M.'
10. A musical grouping with a horn, bugle, lyre, sheet music, and two masks.
11. Funerary monument with two birds. Inscribed 'T.V.'
12. A rose design.
13. An allegorical figure holding a vessel.
14. Funerary urn inscribed 'I.P.' There is a snake wrapping around the urn.
15. A design for a locket inscribed with a monogram.
16. A woman resting pensively on an anchor.
17. At the top, a bird holds a string with two hearts pierced through with an arrow. Below the hearts is a monogram and a scroll inscribed 'one mind.'
18. A woman sits beneath a willow tree with a shield resting against her leg. In the background is a ship sailing.
19. A monogram on top of a small chequered pattern of hair.
20. A landscape with trees and a ship in the distance.
21. A monogram of 'JD' on top of a large chequered pattern of hair.
22. Two winged figures next to a funerary monument inscribed 'JJ.' There is smoke rising from the monument. The standing figure holds arrows in one hand and rests a bow on top of the monument while the kneeling figure has their hands clasped.
23. A bundle of wheat design.
24. A flower basket design. Below is inscribed 'Dulcis' (sweet).
25. A mother bird sits beneath a tree with her chicks around her.
26. A figure standing in a wheat field, on top of a bundle of wheat. She holds another bundle in her right arm along with a scythe, while in her left hand is a smoking torch.
27. A monogram of 'JP' on top of a small chequered pattern of hair.
28. A landscape with a water feature in the foreground and a building in the distance.
29. A monogram of 'JJ' on top of a small chequered pattern of hair.
30. A woman nursing a child.
31. A shield with three stars and a chevron.
32. A funerary monument decorated with a beehive and inscribed with 'JB'.
33. A figure in front of a funerary monument with an urn.
34. A funerary monument with an urn and inscribed with 'JG.'
35. A figure, possibly male, mourns in front of a funerary monument with an urn and inscribed 'TW.'
36. Funerary monument with two roundels, the first inscribed 'EH' and the second 'EF.' On top, there are two flaming hearts pierced through with a single arrow.
37. A woman weeps in front of a funerary monument with an urn and decorated with a shield. Against her leg rests a large oval-shaped disk inscribed with a monogram.
Dimensions
  • Height: 26cm
  • Width: 20.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • London, Printed for Bowles & Carver, No. 69 St. Paul's Church Yard. (Printed on a curve underneath the designs.)
  • HAIR DEVICES. (Printed bottom centre.)
  • Published 29 Sept. 1795. (Printed bottom right.)
Object history
See also E.2325-1931 for an earlier printing of these designs in 'Hair Devices' ca. 1789.
Production
Price 7s 6d. London: Printed for the Proprietors, Bowles & Carver No. 69 St. Paul's Church Yard. Just Published Terry's Complete Round of Cyphers, consisting of 600 examples. Price 6s.
Subjects depicted
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
E.3385-1903

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
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