Unknown Maker, American

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 brooch 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.