Mourning Pendant
date: label: Date made
content: 1800-1820
notes: label: Description
content: A remembrance piece such as this brooch is representative of mourning jewelry worn during the early nineteenth century. Death rituals were an important part of family life, and they were marked by women wearing mourning clothes as well as mourning jewelry after an acceptable period of time during the extended mourning period. The weeping willow that is depicted in this scene was a popular mourning motif in the nineteenth century.
label: Description
content: This brooch dating from 1800-1820 is oval shape with an elaborate gold loop for hanging. Gold metal forms the border on the front with a central plaque painted with a mourning scene of a woman and child by a tomb, marked with the words "Rest in Peace." A weeping willow hangs over an urn that rests on top of the tomb. The plaque is covered with convex glass. The plain gold back is engraved with the initials "EMW" at the center. The brooch measures 3 ½ inches by 2 1/4 inches overall.
label: Description
content: This brooch was a favorite family piece of the donor's. The initials on the back of the piece were of an unknown ancestor.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: used for
content: Mourning
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Costume
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: Artifact Walls exhibit
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of Nadine Lane Chapman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1992.0302.1
label: accession number
content: 1992.0302
label: catalog number
content: 1992.0302.1
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pendant
label: Object Type
content: Accessories Worn on the Body
label: Object Type
content: Woman
label: Object Type
content: Pendant
label: Object Type
content: Jewelry
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (loop material)
label: Physical Description
content: ivory (placque material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (covering material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 1/2 in x 2 1/4 in; 8.89 cm x 5.715 cm