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Mourning jewelry

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Divia
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Mourning jewelry

Post by Divia » Mon July 25th, 2011, 2:43 am

I know I'm one of the only victorian nuts on this MB :p but I was wondering if anyone collected mourning jewelry?
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Michy
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Post by Michy » Mon July 25th, 2011, 3:15 pm

Another Victorian practice was to make things -- jewelry, etc. -- out of human hair. There's a Victorian house in our city that gives tours, and in one of the parlors there's a wall hanging that is a flower bouquet made entirely of human hair (I believe it used hair from the various family members). Looking at it from a craftman's point of view it is an amazing piece of art. But there is something about it that just totally grosses me out.

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Mon July 25th, 2011, 3:50 pm

I don't collect it, but I have some inherited stuff from my rellies, including a jet cross, an ebony brooch, and some jet beads with a jet cameo attached.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Mon July 25th, 2011, 4:51 pm

[quote=""Michy""]Another Victorian practice was to make things -- jewelry, etc. -- out of human hair. There's a Victorian house in our city that gives tours, and in one of the parlors there's a wall hanging that is a flower bouquet made entirely of human hair (I believe it used hair from the various family members). Looking at it from a craftman's point of view it is an amazing piece of art. But there is something about it that just totally grosses me out.[/quote]


I don't collect the hair pieces. I have one cross and that is it. I had a chance to buy one huge piece, which was a hair wreath with the girls picture under it. I should have bought it cause it was only 250.00 a few years back. Now on ebay those things go for like 600!

[quote=""EC2""]I don't collect it, but I have some inherited stuff from my rellies, including a jet cross, an ebony brooch, and some jet beads with a jet cameo attached.[/quote]

Thats really cool. I was talking to a collector a few months back and she said that a lot of the old jewelry is being sold and melted down. Obviously not the jet stuff, but the gold lockets n' stuff. Its sad to hear.
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annis
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Post by annis » Mon July 25th, 2011, 11:25 pm

I recently read Mary Hooper's YA novel Fallen Grace, which is particularly interesting because it goes into the development and promotion of the whole mourning industry in Victorian times- even to the black-edged underwear! This book has caused some comment because it goes into subjects like death and sexual abuse, yet is clearly written for younger teenage readers - well done, though.

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Mon July 25th, 2011, 11:40 pm

Interesting. Sounds like my cup of tea. I havent read it but I know I bought a copy for the lib.
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Alisha Marie Klapheke
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Post by Alisha Marie Klapheke » Tue July 26th, 2011, 8:02 pm

The museum in my hometown (the Frist in Nashville TN) showcased several rooms of jewelry a while back, including many mourning pieces. I found it absolutely fascinating and a bit creepy. Those crazy Victorians were wild about tombstones too, right? They had to be big and dramatic to display wealth and status from what I've heard.

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Madeleine
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Post by Madeleine » Wed July 27th, 2011, 8:47 am

[quote=""Alisha Marie Klapheke""]The museum in my hometown (the Frist in Nashville TN) showcased several rooms of jewelry a while back, including many mourning pieces. I found it absolutely fascinating and a bit creepy. Those crazy Victorians were wild about tombstones too, right? They had to be big and dramatic to display wealth and status from what I've heard.[/quote]

Have you read Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier? There's a lot in that about Victorian mourning rituals, especially the passion for building bigger and better tombs, they were very competitive!
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Alisha Marie Klapheke
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Post by Alisha Marie Klapheke » Wed July 27th, 2011, 2:24 pm

Yes, I did read some of that book. I confess, that is one of the very few novels that I did not finish. It just couldn't keep me. Strange because I loved Pearl Earring, Burning Bright, and Virgin Blue (I think that's what that was called).

But yes she does explain the tomb culture in an interesting way.

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Wed July 27th, 2011, 2:56 pm

It was all about mourning. The bigger the better when it came to Victorians, if you had the money that is. I guess instead of buying flashy gadgets like we do to display our wealth they would throw it all into their death rituals.

Personally, I find their death rituals very soothing. I guess that sounds kinda weird, but you went through various steps to help you with the grieving process.
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