Some of the jewelry were as simple as a locket with a photograph and a lock of the loved ones hair.
Tightly woven pieces were also common. I can't imagine the number of hairs and the hours that it took to create this piece.
I recall seeing more than one exhibit in different museums throughout the years of these types of pieces. Honestly, I've always found them a little creepy and can't imagine wearing any of these pieces no matter how intricate.
I found it interesting when researching this topic that there is still a market for this type of jewelry. Not only are there collectors of the antique pieces but there are crafters still making hair jewelry and selling it. There are even instructions on how to create these unique treasurers online. They are made by "Hair Artists". Want to see what is available check out one of these websites here.
I loved this post! I was first introduced to this practice of jewelry made out of hair from the deceased actually from a television show on SyFy. The show was called Haunted Collector and the gist of the show is that the host and his crew go into haunted homes and try and find an item that is causing the haunts. Well in one of the episodes the item causing the haunting was a locket, like the one you have pictured above, with a lock of hair in it with a photograph. I too don't think I would be able to wear this type of jewelry but it does bring to my mind the practice of many mothers, I know mine did, of keeping a strand of hair from their child's first haircut. Perhaps the tradition has evolved somewhat.
ReplyDeleteThough from your discovery that this practice of making jewelry from the hair of the deceased still exist is really intriguing to me. I'm not saying I want to jump on amazon and buy myself anything but the fact that the practice is still alive and well...pun intended....is quite extraordinary.
I suppose I realized that there was jewelry made out of hair but I have only ever really thought about things like a hair wreath or the framed pieces of "hair art" that I have seen in historic homes. I had no idea that hair jewelry was something that would still be popular because like you said, it's a little creepy to me. Although in a way, it's not unlike parents who keep a lock of hair from their baby's first haircut. It is definitely one way to memorialize a person but I myself could absolutely not wear some of this art. Your picture of a brooch seems like there is no way it could be made from hair, it looks so delicate and..not hair like. This was definitely something interesting to think about.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about that before but I would not be able to wear anything with human hair. I am one of those parents who is guilty of keeping a lock of hair from my childs first haircut. I have no idea why I did that now.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked into jewelry made from Whitby jet?
"Mourning jewellery made from Whitby jet was highly prized and is now quite rare as supplies have run down. Jet mourning ornaments were considered suitable for deep mourning in Victorian times"
http://england.prm.ox.ac.uk/englishness-mourning-jewellery.html
another tidbit of info I found was that "Hair work jewelry originated in France and England in the 1700’s, evolving from the craft of wig makers. Initially, the jewelry functioned as a mourning memento and was a common funeral gift in the 18th century. Rings, brooches, necklaces, watch fobs, earrings and much more were crafted from the lock of a loved one" http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/08/human-hair-jewelry/
Wow this takes remembering the deceased to a whole new level. Creating jewelry out of some dead family member's hair seems pretty morbid by today's standards but it was clearly a popular practice in the Victorian Era. This is yet another example of how death was a much more public and embraced part of life. People didn't cover up their grief but instead showed it to the world through the clothes and jewelry they wore. Its amazing the lengths people would go to in order to honor their friends and family members. I'd be interested to know whether this practice was something that was looked down on at all and how it came about.
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