Funeralia
Due to the popularity of the mourning industry in the 19th Century, many items of a funerary nature were produced. Funerary art and objects related to it are not a modern invention, funerary art is some of the most ancient recorded in history. For the sake of this website, the focus will remain on 18th and 19th Century artwork, as its relevance to jewellery of the periods is quite close.
Different products are involved with the evolution of the form. From a cultural point of view, different styles represent different areas of production. Many pieces began as folk art, such as samplers, due to their relation to the family and their textile creation. Items could be produced in-house and need not be commissioned by a third party. American quilting of the early 19th Century produced its own version of the form. American symbolism can differ from European, with the inclusion of the bald headed eagle and American flag. Samplers were also created throughout regional Europe, with different regions having their own variations on the typical symbolism. Swiss styles of the mid 19th Century are broader in size and depend on the art of the neoclassical period. English samplers carried the familiar motifs of the previous century through, but are quite formal in style.
Hairwork has a large role to play in the creation of much memorial art. Hairwork memorials such as the ones above and below are quite different in styles and concepts, but are still related in their art. In the above example, the piece stands at 42x36cm with five different kinds of hair inside. the hairwork is placed on to a silk background and the frame is unique to the piece. Memorials such as the one above often contained inscriptions or dedications to a certain person. Flowers as well as the hair are often placed in the art as well.
Immortals, which would be hung from a vault or would stand on a grave were flowers styled with plaster over tin. Doves and clasped hands are were also created (most dating from the early 19th Century) and are highly sought after1.
Frames and items associated the hairwork memorial are often as unique and personal as the pieces themselves.
The above memorial from around the Swiss region in 1855 combines hairwork with sepia to create a powerful memorial. The inscription is part of the tombstone and each part of the picture has been individually fashioned. Memorials such as these are common in Europe and America, often behind glass and with inscriptions.
Mourning fans are part of the popular memorial industry of the late 19th Century. Functional and practical, many fans have deteriorated over the years, but the example from Barbara Robbins depicts a beautiful scene and is in beautiful condition.
| Courtesy: |
Barbara Robbins |
| Inscription: |
Born Jan VII MDCCXCVII Married to H.R.H. Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg May 11 MDCCCXVI Died Nov VI MDCCCXVII / When the Ear Heard Her It Blessed Her And When The Eye Saw Her It Gave Witness to Her The Voice of Wailing is Heard: As the Morning Cloud , As The Early Dew, She Passeth Away |
Commemorative medallions, such as the piece above, are a popular part of the mourning industry. Princess Charlotte Augusta, married to Prince Leopold, was mourned nationally, an event which which had grown with the passing of popular / royal figures and would continue further. An example of this can be seen in the piece from Queen Mary II, but the custom was a popular one, notably used for Lord Nelson and reproductions of the Lord Nelson mourning ring made to commemorate his death. Queen Victoria, Lincoln, Washington and many other popular figures would continue to be commemorated in this fashion (18th, 19th Century), which ties directly into the mourning industry. Only by the first world war did events of this kind not hold their original resonance, but even to this day memorial items for popular events still continue (September 11 attacks, Princes Di, etc).
Hairwork memorials can come in many different forms, sometimes as mourning pieces and sometimes as love tokens. The above piece, dating from the latter half of the 18 th Century is one of the most extraordinary pieces to survive to this day. The enormous amount of hairwork placed under the frame in a luscious weave with the miniature portrait in the middle makes it an incredibility portrait as much as it is a memorial. The young girl, whose hair is obviously as opulent as the hair in the frame is painted very delicately inside the ring of the joined snake (eternity - with black enamel on its body and blue enamel around the eyes). Such an odd and beautiful piece is a wonderful example of a personal token of affection.
This souvenir frame with the angels holding the portrait above is rich in symbolism. Though not of extraordinary quality, it is quite elegant in design.
The above frame (with modern picture inserted) is an original memorial frame dated 1877. Take note of the urn and weeping angels, the detail is a reminder of memorial display in households at the time.
Household items, such as crockery, boxes and statues also contained memorial imagery, even ranging to scrimshaw3. Pieces of this sort are too numerous to mention, as the size of the mourning industry was so large. As long as there were grieving people, there were items to sell. As time goes on, unusual items will be added to this area of the site.
See also Ephemera and Needlework
With its hairwork and wreath, this piece is quite a unique piece of funeralia that is certainly relevant. This piece shows a standardisation in memorial art that would have a degree of consistency over the next seventy years. The black and the bold symbolism with quite innocuous font are all reminiscent of a style that remains prominent over the following Victorian period (which suffered through numerous artistic revivals). Untouched even by the artistic heights of its time, this piece truly transcends its events in history, even showing the forget-me-not that would prove an even more popular motif in the following years. The hairwork itself is quite cleverly constructed, using a series of curls to create its own design. A very beautiful piece that has stood the test of time.
A famous area for producing enamel the second half of the 18th century, Bilston in was renowned for its artists and craftsmen. The closing of the Battersea enamel factory in 1756 provided the basis for the rise of the Bilston enamel trade, which had existed before this time. Manufacturers and materials had migrated to Bilston after 1756 and the standard of the boxes improved greatly. Boxes such as these were sold as trinkets, many made by small, family run businesses. The subject matter of these boxes were intended to be popular, so to produce and sell in numbers. This piece featuring the weeping widow at the grave with the willow above shows the level of quality produced. The fine cross-hatching work against the white background provides a stark contrast for a memorial piece and reflects the sepia work being done at the time this piece was constructed. More than likely a patch box due to it having a mirror underneath, this shows the extent of the memorial industry and its effect on mainstream culture at the time.
A colourful piece and a statement on mortality, this enamelled box doesn’t have the fine quality of the mourning piece, but it quite unique in its symbolism and representation. The two figures rowing across the river show the journey of life crossing over, from the home to unknown, or the garden, which represents the hereafter. The floral border is also a colourful touch, as it the yellow base and this would lean towards being constructed by a family in Bilston of the time. Purchased as a trinket, the sentimentality of this piece could have been delivered as a memorial item or given as a sentimental one, but evaluating the mentality of the purchaser is conjecture.
