Image

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Unknown Maker, American

Locket

Description

Maker

Culture

American

Title

Locket

Year

1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

diamond, pearl, glass, enamel, gold

Dimensions

Length: 5.4 cm (2 1/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

33.033

Type

Jewelry

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.

Use & Feedback

Image use

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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, diamond, pearls and glass

Length: 5.4 cm (2 1/8 inches)

Anonymous gift 33.033

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