Memento mori, Europe, 1689

Made:
1689 in Europe

Gold slide, a memento mori of entwined hair and a skeleton, covered by glass, engraved with the initials W.H., 1689

Jewellery like this brooch containing human hair is associated with mourning. The hair is almost certainly from a departed loved one. Objects such as these were called memento mori, or ‘reminder of death’. The skeleton holding an hourglass reminded the wearer of the shortness of their life. The brooch has two loops on the back to attach it to a belt or to put in the hair. It is engraved with the initials of the person who died, ‘W H’, and the date 1689.

Details

Category:
Wellcome (general)
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A642143
Materials:
gold, glass and hair
type:
memento mori, human hair, slide and human remains
credit:
Gudeck