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Unknown Maker, American

Locket

Description

Maker

Unknown Maker, American

Culture

American

Title

Locket

Year

1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

gold, pearl, enamel, garnet

Dimensions

Width: 2.2 cm (7/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

31.387

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America
Oct 11, 2013 – Feb 09, 2014

Label copy

A lock of hair was often cherished as a tangible remembrance of a deceased loved one; this bright blue enameled locket incorporates a lock of hair and a small photograph. 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.

The hair in these pieces was braided using a method that employed weighted bobbins to produce hollow tubes or solid lengths of woven hair, which were made into various forms of jewelry.

Related Publications

Related Publications

  • Journal

Manual / Issue 13: Storage

The RISD Museum’s thirteenth issue of Manual unpacks the idea and reality of storage-objects museums don’t put on view, works made as containers of various sorts, and more metaphorical considerations about how meanings and narratives are stored. This issue serves as a companion to the Raid the Icebox Now series of exhibitions on view at the RISD Museum through November 2020, in which nine contemporary artists and design collectives use the museum and its collections as a site for critical creative production and presentation. Raid the Icebox Now marks the 50th anniversary of Raid the Icebox 1 with Andy Warhol*, held in 1970 at the RISD Museum.

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, American
Locket, 1800s
Gold with enamel, pearls, hair, photograph and glass
Width: 2.2 cm (7/8 inches)
Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Gustav Radeke 31.387

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