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American

Bracelet, 1850-1899

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

American

Title

Bracelet

Year

1850-1899

Medium

Hair and gold

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • hair,
  • gold

Dimensions

Length: 19.1 cm (7 1/2 inches) (unclasped)

Type

  • Jewelry

Credit

Gift of the Honorable Charles F. Stearns

Object Number

39.049

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

A lock of hair was often cherished as a tangible remembrance of a deceased loved one. The practice of incorporating hair into jewelry began in Europe as early as the 16th century, and by the 19th century became an art of its own, with instructional manuals detailing the latest patterns and techniques.

This bracelet was braided using a method that employed weighted bobbins to produce hollow tubes or solid lengths of woven hair. These were then formed into necklaces, watch fobs, and other forms of jewelry.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Bracelet with the accession number of 39.049. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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