Hair Work-Table Work

Today we will focus on table hair work.

Table work creates the three dimensional pieces often seen in jewelry.

All of the hair work featured in this post are love tokens.

The table below is a new weaving table made and used by a friend of ours, Thomas Tear. 

 

This collection of hair jewelry has examples that Thomas has created along with some antique pieces.

Can you tell which is old and which is new?

 

An antique weaving table is part of the Charleston Museum collection.

 

A watch fob made of hair with gold findings and locket.

Hair bracelet with gold findings and crystal center.

 

Cross with gold tips and seed pearl.

 

 Hair bracelets showing different weaving designs.

 

Hair brooches in a bow pattern.

The hair weaving patterns were found in books of the era while the gold findings could be purchased from catalogs.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this series about hair work from the Victorian era!

Happy collecting!

 

Blessings,

 

Kim

 

Hair Work-Pallet Work Love Tokens

Today's post focuses on pallet work for love tokens.

Often these pieces are mistaken as mourning because of the hair work involved.

 Generally mourning pieces have a setting with some sort of black enamel or jet and/or date of death.

Other indications are the mourning scenes as shown in the previous post.

This piece is a love token with the hair work of two people, the darker woven for the background with a love knot in different hair on top.

The reverse side is a photo of a handsome gentleman most likely the provider of the darker hair.

 

 

This decorative piece has finely woven hair beneath the glass.

 

The hair design in this brooch is fairly popular and is known as the prince of Wales curls.
Gold thread and pearl beads embellish the design.

 

 Hair weaving can be intricately woven for rings as seen in the center of this piece.

 

This piece has an unusual pattern utilizing hair from two people and a pearl bead as an embellishment.

 

Variation of a prince of Wales curl design.

 

Tomorrow I will focus on table work for love tokens.

 

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Blessings,

 

Kim 

Hair Work-Mourning

Hair work jewelry dates back for several generations.

These little gems were created using pallet work.

Pallet work was for flat surfaces usually to be used in jewelry.

This post focuses on mourning hair jewelry made to memorialize a loved one.

These miniature works of art are a combination of hand-painting and hair work which was then placed beneath glass for brooches, rings, and pendants.

Sometimes personal information such as date of death, name or initials were included in the design or may be engraved on the back of the piece.

All of the above pieces are property of the Charleston Museum.

 

More on this amazing art form to be posted soon!

For additional pictures visit:

http://kimpoovey.blogspot.com

 

Blessings,

 

Kim

Hair Work

Hair work was a popular pastime for ladies in the Victorian era.

Hair was collected from family and/or friends to be woven into wreaths, bouquets, and jewelry.

Contrary to popular belief not all hair work is for mourning, it was also used as love tokens.

 

 Most hair wreaths were placed in shadow box frames while other hair work was displayed beneath glass domes.

 

The hair work of American women slowed during the civil war being that creative time in the parlor was replaced by the work duties usually performed by men who were now off fighting in the war.

 

 Some women embellished hair work with beads.

For mourning pieces a photo of the deceased might be included.

This book is a reprint of the original which provided hair work patterns.

Hair work jewelry will be discussed in future posts!

For additional pictures visit:

http://kimpoovey.blogspot.com

 

or

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Truer-Words/218735014903523

 

Blessings,

 

Kim