Art of Mourning
Hayden Peters is one of the world’s foremost collectors of “mourning jewelry,” and he showcases “memorial, mourning, sentimental jewellery (sic) and art” on the wonderful Art of Mourning site. There are photos and descriptions of art, jewelry, accessories, textiles, and ephemera from many different periods and cultures. The site also has a nice resource section, including a discussion of common symbolism, a list of books on “funeralia,” and contact information for several vendors who handle such items.
This is a fantastic resource for funeral artwork and mementos mori, and it makes me wish I had the kind of disposable income that would let me collect this stuff. It’s just gorgeous.
Bonus Link: Collectors Weekly recently did an interview with Peters, discussing the history of mourning jewelry and how he got started collecting it.
(Hat tip to pdq)
Posted in Resources | 2 Comments »
March 4th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed both links.
Cheers!
March 7th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
The stuff is lovely; I’ve actualy handled some interesting pieces over the years (I’m a goldsmith by trade) and have since become interested especially in the ‘hair painting’ method. Wonderfully absorbing detailed work!