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Early
Mourning Rituals
Guest Article written &
Copyright © 2009 by
Rikki Springsteed, Curator
of the exhibit
Dearly Departed: Women
and Mourning 1680 - 1918,
August 15 - October 31,
2009,
Tioga County Historical
Society in Owego, NY.
Early mourning jewelry such as rings and pendants with skeletons or
skull and crossbones reflects Memento Mori or As I Am So Shall
You Be. The earliest depictions of these items are thought to go
back to the late Middle Ages during the virulent plague known as The
Black Death. This plague was a catastrophic pandemic that swept Europe
beginning in 1347 and killing millions of people. It is thought to have
inspired images reminding the viewer that death comes to all regardless
of their station in life. The earliest known version of such images is
found on frescoes that date to 1424 in the Church of the Holy Innocents
in Paris. With Charles I, Memento Mori started to fade. Some of his
supporters began wearing his portrait with a cover for fear of causing
political unrest. |
Photos Courtesy of & © Rikki
Springsteed |
|
Thomas Paine (d 1721)
Truro Old North Cemetery
http://www.capecodgravestones.com/ |
Early colonial gravestones, particularly in Puritan New England,
often had the skull and crossbones images. Also, there were gravestones
with a variety of epitaphs reminding the viewer that he/she will also
die. The changing iconography on the gravestones over the centuries
indicates the change in the perception of death and after life. Skull
and crossbones changed to images of skulls with wings that symbolized
the soul. Beginning in the later part of the 18th century, depictions of
angels as comforting messengers sent by God were used. |
| During the Georgian Era the classical dress and urns were items
added to mourning jewelry. Many mourning jewelry pieces were made from
masticated hair (chopped hair and sepia paint). They were a navette
shape depicting weeping women pointing toward heaven, holding an anchor
(hope) accompanied by a dog (fidelity) often seated at a tomb. The
aristocrats were able to commission extravagant pieces of jewelry or
mementos. The navette shape was preferred by many with guilloche enamel
often used in transparent colors for borders. Rose cut diamonds, pearls
and hair were used to depict urns in this extremely high quality
jewelry.
Allegorical figure of "Hope" in navette-shaped brooch. |
Above pendant is from the Georgian Era but is not navette-shaped. |
|
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George Washington’s death encouraged more traditional mourning
customs in America. Jewelry with portraits such as he specified in his
will became the trend. Finishing schools for young ladies helped create
watercolors or silk embroideries depicting classical urns and tombs.
Artwork and needlework created a way to express the loss of a loved one
and would embellish the home. |
| The Industrial Revolution, during the Victorian Era, made mourning
jewelry available for both rich and poor. Machine made materials from
stamped brass, French jet (glass), bog oak and gutta percha were used to
make the jewelry. Extraordinary one-of-a-kind pieces for the rich would
have precious stones, diamonds and/or seed pearls set on a black
background of jet or onyx. |
Photo Courtesy of & © Rikki
Springsteed |
|
Photo Courtesy of & © Rikki
Springsteed
|
Hair jewelry is jewelry made of hair or embellished with hair. It
was worn as memorial pieces in the 17th century. During the later half
of the 18th century, hair jewelry became fashionable. Jewelry made of
hair was available from professional jewelers or could be made by
amateurs. Hair was made into a variety of designs or woven into
bracelets and watch chains. During the mid-19th century, earrings,
crosses, rings and necklaces were popular types of hair jewelry. Often,
mourning pieces were made using the hair of the deceased. This was a
tangible personal remembrance of the dead. Sometimes people left
instructions in their wills to have jewelry made from their hair. |
| Lithographs were available to the masses depicting tombstones for
inscribing the deceased name and date. These were filled in by the
family and made a sad, yet colorful remembrance to hang in the home.
Postmortem photographs replaced expensive artwork. With cameras
available, the middle class would have photographs of family members.
Often, the only photograph of a child would have been taken postmortem.
The First World War and the influenza pandemic in 1918 altered
mourning customs. Women had to work outside the home, therefore, the
custom to stay at home in seclusion, dressed in black crepe for over a
year was no longer possible to do. In England, the wearing of black was
discouraged because they did not want service men depressed when home on
leave from the war. Funerals moved to funeral parlors and were no longer
held in the home. This change brought about the beginning of living
rooms in homes and no longer was there a front and back parlor.
Photo Courtesy of & © Rikki
Springsteed |
Photo Courtesy of & © Rikki
Springsteed |
|
Please see the Folk Art,
and
Antique Jewelry for
memorial pieces currently in inventory
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Early Mourning Rituals