Antique
jewelry and other fine antique items from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian
eras
E-mail Darlene
Antique
jewelry and other fine antique items from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian
eras
E-mail Darlene
Antique jewelry> mourning jewelry
Reference #: 8795
Status: sold
Dimensions: 1 and 1/3 inches by 1 and 3/4 inches
Condition: excellent; some dust inside the glass on the back; also on the back: a gold star that was in the center of the book has moved and is now on the edge. The star does not move around.
Year: 1820-40
Price: sold
Description: Double sided Georgian brooch comprised
of two miniatures on ivory. Exceptionally fine detail and
workmanship, most likely Swiss or German in origin. The
miniature on the front was created from finely ground hair.
It depicts a young lady helping an older person who is sitting
on a shady bench. Next to the older person, one can see
what appears to be a cane. In the background, is a church,
a house and a snow capped mountain . The miniature on the
back is also comprised of hair. It depicts a book,
presumably the "Good Book" (Bible). I think this brooch is
a mourning brooch. The early mourning jewelry created by
the Germans, Swiss and Dutch usually did not have overt symbols
of mourning on them, such as tombs, etc. More often, they
depicted biblical parables or scenes from the life of the
deceased person. I think this brooch seeks to remind the
wearer that their deed will all be recorded in the Book of Life
(a type of memento mori jewelry but more subtle). It is
the Book of Life that God looks into when one's judgment time
comes. The scene on this brooch; of the young lady
stopping to help an older person; reminds us that to get a star
(gold star on the back) in the Book of Life, one must be a doer
of good deeds.
To see other images of this item, please click here:
photo1 and photo2 and
photo3
