Watch 1819 - 1820

This enameled watch, crafted by Grayhurst, Harvey & Co., presents a charming bouquet, centrally positioned against a vibrant red backdrop. Floral arrangements have long been potent symbols, echoing through diverse epochs and geographical locales, representing sentiments from love and celebration to mourning and remembrance. Here, roses, with their intricate layers, invoke notions of beauty, fragility, and the transient nature of time itself. This iconography is not static; in classical antiquity, roses were linked to Aphrodite, goddess of love, whereas in later Christian symbolism, they became associated with the Virgin Mary. The pearl embellishments framing the timepiece evoke the same ideas. Their luminous, almost ethereal quality lends the object an aura of purity and enduring value. The cyclical nature of time mirrors the cyclical reappearance of these motifs, each epoch reshaping and reinterpreting their essence. This watch is not merely a functional object, but rather an encapsulation of cultural memory, a poignant reminder of how symbols evolve.