Mourning Pin Questions

[amandainvermont]

I was asked to sell this pin for my local thrift store.

(These are sad, aren’t they?)

Unfortunately the glass is shattered on this one, but the hair inside is in place. It measures one and 3/4 inches long. It’s dated 1846, which seems to be relatively early for mourning pins. On the back it says:

“Nathan Slofson - Born June 24 1838 - Obt (?) Sep 7 1846. Aged 8 year and 3 mo.”

My questions. Should I get the glass replaced first? it is beveled. And how do I tell if this is gold?

Any other info/ideas most welcome.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Do you have a jeweler in the area you can trust, Amanda? They can just scrape a little off the back to test it for you and perhaps you could ask them what it would cost to replace the beveled glass?

These were often only gold filled, but they are indeed sometimes gold.

 

[cmpollack]

That's lovely, Amanda! And how wonderful to have the exact date inscribed on the back.

I'm with Mary Jane--I'd take this to a jeweler, especially since it's such an early piece.

 

[amandainvermont]

OK - will do, thanks. I'll let you know what he says.

 

[Linn]

Agree - good advice.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

I'd like to mention that despite the 1846 date on the back, it may not date to then: the hair may have been souvenired and inserted into a mourning pin when they came into fashion. In any case, it's not likely to be much later than the date it is, certainly at the early end of mourning pin popularity.

Eg, I saved a lock of my mother's hair when she died 27 years ago, I still have it and if something like mourning pins came into fashion I might use it in a piece of jewellery so that I could carry her with me. I would be likely to put her dates on the pin, but they don't mean that's when it was made.

Nicole

 

[Ookoo]

Are you sure that you need to replace the glass? I'm not a collector of these things, but I think the cracked glass adds to the somber quality of a sad memento.

 

[vertugarde]

Incorporating hair in mourning jewellery appears in the 18th Century but was certainly popular during the Victorian period. This is a good reference site;

http://www.artofmourning.com/brooches.html

 

[mingus107]

I love this piece. Cracked glass and all. I've been wanting one for 2 years. Very lovely.

 

[amandainvermont]

Nicole - You certainly have a point. Did you look at the interesting info Vertugarde posted? OOkoo, I guess I will asked one of the collector's of mourning pieces what they think. Thank you all.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

thank you for the link vertugarde - interesting article. I'm very attracted to mourning jewellery and hair work but have little knowledge. I actually have a brooch that's very similar to the last one, the hand with gauntlet (although I think my gauntlet is ruffled Elizabethan style). I hadn't realised it's possible association with mourning.

Nicole

 

[amandainvermont]

Man, I love the internet. Vertugarde pointed out the site ART OF MOURNING which is written by Hayden Peters, a jewelry historian based in Australia. I sent him an e-mail about this pin and here is his kind answer (which he gave me permission to share) -

-------

I absolutely love that piece, I think the shape and dedication are stunning, it's just such a shame about the glass. You can get it replaced, but modern techniques make it hard to find someone to re-create the convex shape, usually they do hard-edges and you loose the authenticity. As to repair of the glass, I'll throw the door open to anyone who may want to try a technique that I haven't heard of, but it looks like your only option is to leave it the way it is.

Personally, I prefer this, as I dislike alterations to existing pieces, especially when dedications are involved! That said, you may make more money if replaced and cleaned by a professional.

-----

So Ookoo was on point - much as we wouldn't attempt to refigure couture. Mr. Hayden's site is packed with interesting articles like THIS ONE on "spotting forgeries, fakes and the history of reproductions."

His Blog is highly educational and fascinating as well. I'm glad I found this fellow and am now headed back to read some more.

 

[Linn]

I think I shared this piece in my workshop but I don't think that I mentioned that it probably is a mourning piece. It's from about 1880 - and the compartment in the back would have been for a lock of hair - which it does not have. It could also be a piece of "sentimental" jewelry - not all hair jewelry was mourning. I do not know as much about this as more modern jewelry.

I'm so glad that you've gotten good advice on the piece, Amanda.

 

[bycin]

When I was a kid in Northern California there were some hair "paintings" (portraits of the family members, not all deceased as I recall) in the old home. This was 1850s/1860s.

 

[amandainvermont]

Linn - I sent the photos and pix of your pin to Mr. Hayden. (Hope that's OK) and here is what he said -

-------------------
--Hm, this is an interesting one... Certainly from about 1880-1900, the glass at the back looks quite thin, so I'd check that it was original, not that it matters a whole lot (considering also that the hair is missing, but some of these actually had a photograph inside. It's certainly sentimental, considering the horseshoe motif that's surrounding it (and bless her for noting that not all things that contained hair are "mourning"). It has hallmarks, so I'd check them carefully and that will tell you what year it was made and by whom (I had a piece submitted to me recently that was similar, but inferior, it was Pinchbeck).
---------------------

(Of course you know about the hallmarks!) So now if we have any questions about mourning jewelry or clothing, this fellow is very generous with his opinions/expertise!

 

[Linn]

Thanks, Amanda -

I think the glass is original but I'll have to get it out to check. My piece is marked 15K. I can't remember if I checked the hallmarks but I think that I did at one point and it is C. 1880's. It is in the Etruscan Revival Style which was very popular in the 1880's.