Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 19th Century.
Mourning pieces fashioned from hair are frequently to be found on the reverse of portrait miniatures so standalone pieces are more unusual though nonetheless poignant.
Held between these are the loved one’s initials CB in monogram. Two shades of hair have been intermingled within the picture suggesting a husband and wife connection.
Pieces like this were often commissioned specially from a professional hair worker, such as Elizabeth Chilcot who worked at her father’s jewellery shop in Bath during the 1770s. Elizabeth offered portraits and landscapes in chopped hair as well as pieces with urns, altars and trees for mourning miniatures. She was proclaimed ‘a genius far superior to any who ever yet attempted that ingenious art’. It was without doubt a slow and time-consuming task as reflected by her fee of £3 3s (equating to about £500 in today’s money) for a portrait worked in hair.
The hair in this piece is mounted on flat glass covered with a second piece of glass and backed with card within what appears to be the original papier-mâché frame with an acorn hanger. The backing card has been replaced to enhance the visual contrast of the hairwork. The original backing, now browned with age, has though been retained within the piece.
Framed Size: 141 x 122mm (5½ x 4¾")
International Shipping: £20
Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 19th Century.
Small portraiture of character & historical interest
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page
Memorial Hairwork Picture