Broche c. 1830

Editor: This is an exquisite brooch dating back to around 1830, made with gold, silver and other mixed media. It is really quite tiny. It has this teardrop shape, but inside…it looks like it contains hair! What should we make of that? Curator: Ah, yes, the "Broche." Think of it not just as a piece of jewelry, but a vessel holding a story, a tangible whisper from the Romantic era. It contains meticulously arranged hair, like a tiny landscape of memory, carefully placed and framed in gold. Isn’t that… incredibly intimate? Editor: Intimate, yes, and a bit unsettling. Is it common to enshrine someone's hair? I feel like I would only wear this for a specific someone. Curator: Exactly! These brooches, and similar mementos, were very fashionable then, expressions of love, loss, or remembrance. Sometimes, they’re associated with mourning jewelry, designed to keep the departed close, not just as names, but as a… presence. The little pearl likely added to this emotion! Editor: So, this wasn’t seen as morbid back then? Did the monogram on the ivory piece give us more of a personal touch? Curator: "Morbid" wasn't quite the tone. More… a sentimental acknowledgment of life's fleeting nature, and it shows how people made creative forms of love. About that Monogram, it acts as an artist’s flourish and may hint at the wearer. Who knows! These pieces ask us to fill in the narrative. It is interesting to let your own curiosity take its course, isn't it? Editor: Definitely changes how I see jewelry! Before I thought of adornment, now it looks like a keepsake. Thank you so much for your perspective. Curator: My pleasure! Each little object carries its secrets, it is nice to hear yours, as well!