Antique Perusing (and Purchasing)

Today, I went to the Swoyersville Collectors' Market. There some very interesting things, such as an adorable head mount of a "jackalope," an old glass-front medicine cabinet, pocketwatches, steamer trunks, and an old gas mask.

They also had some Victorian items. More specifically, Victorian mourning items. (I'll bet you can see where this is going.)

There was a mourning bodice, circa 1890, various sorts of jewelry, including hair jewelry. Watch fobs, a bracelet, brooches, and pendants - all Victorian, all mourning, all incorporating hair - were laid out in the display case, just begging for someone (like me) to buy them.

One particular, familiar piece caught my eye, just as it had a few months prior. The seller said that it was one of his favourite pieces. It was a golden locket, slightly larger than a quarter, covered in ornate etchings of vines and swirls. In the center, there was black enamel, with a golden, upside-down torch and a banner that said, "In Memory Of," etched into it. Inside, dark brown hair was woven in a manner akin to a basket-weave.

I can describe it vividly because I am, in fact, wearing it now.

It was priced for $98, which is fair, but I managed to get the price down to $70 just by being. . . erm. . . charming, prattling on about Victorian mourning, and then asking, innocently, "What's your best price on this?"

I did a little research before buying it, as I had my eye on it for quite some time. I found that it can't be earlier than 1850, but can't be later than the 1890's. Even the 1890's are a little late for it, as photography often took the place of hairwork during the later years of the Victorian era, which is a shame.

I think it's even more of a shame that this sort of art is, in this day and age, practiced by so very few. If anyone makes hair items, I'd love to see the pictures of your art!

A Shameless Promotion




Beauchene (or "exploded") skulls, made by Ryan Matthew.
(From left to right) The first two are human, the third is a baboon, and the fourth is a cat.

  Recently, Ryan Matthew, of Science Channel's (and, formerly, Discovery Channel's) Oddities, lauched his own website, Ryan Matthew Oddities. It's definitely worth a look. He's posted pictures of his collection - including his "exploded" skulls, which are like anatomical works of art.

He'll soon have a shop set up on the website, in which you can buy osteological specimens, jewelry, and whatever else he decides to put up for sale. Ryan is very passionate about what he does, and quite professional. So, basically, were you interested in buying a skull or another sort of osteological specimen, I would (strongly) suggest buying it from him.

Victorian Hair Art

This is a clip from the second season of Science Channel's Oddities, and it concerns something I love: Victorian mourning.

Also, if you read my last post, you'd notice that the name "Victoriana Lady" sounds extremely familiar. Yes, that's the person I'm modeling for, and whose collection I'm incredibly envious of.

There are plenty of aspects to Victorian mourning - the superstitions, the clothing, the rules of etiquette (such as how long people are expected to mourn), post-mortem photos (which I am incredibly interested in) -, and I'm fascinated with all of them, but what I will talk about today is hair art.

Now, you've probably learned quite a bit about it from the video, but I'm going to talk about it anyway.

It was a common practice to take the hair of a deceased loved one and to keep it, incorporating it into sculptures, pictures, and jewelry. I've seen lockets with woven hair inside, watch fobs made from braided hair, bracelets, brooches, and the like.

A brooch made from human hair.

Hair isn't necessarily the easiest medium to work with. Braiding it and weaving it as intricately and precise as the Victorians did is a painstaking project, a labor of love requiring skill and perseverance. Sculptures like the one in the video must have been extraordinarily difficult to make, but are, in my opinion, well worth the effort. Hair never decays; the art will never perish, and the people it was made from are effectively immortalized through it.

A Victorian hair sculpture.

A brooch incorporating human hair, which is fashioned into the shape of a feather.

The Ossuary

I feel like talking about the Sedlec Ossuary for no reason, other than for the fact that I love it. It's remarkable - a triumph of art, a perfect example of the relationship between Beauty and Death. (Ironically, it's on my "bucket list.") Some may grow a little faint when they hear that the chapel is decorated with the remains of an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 people. Others want to hop onto the next plane to the Czech Republic.



   

 Top left: A cross made of bones.

Top right: The entrance.

Bottom left: The crest of the Schwarzenberg family, who commissioned the artwork.

Bottom right: A chandelier made of at least one of every bone in the human body.

The artist signs his work.

All of the artwork was created by František Rint, and it was commissioned by the Schwarzenburg family. This was done in 1870; it's one more reason to love the Victorian era.

There's also another reason to love Jan Švankmajer, as he filmed a documentary of the Sedlec Ossuary, which you can watch here:

I'm a little obsessed with that video. I've posted it to my Facebook wall at least twice. It's fantastic.

I also (highly) recommend watching Švankmajer's other videos. I doubt you'll be disappointed.