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Small Mourning Locket
Small Sentimental Locket
Small Mourning Locket
Small Mourning Locket

Small Sentimental Locket

Date1840 - 1900
Object NameLocket
Mediumgold metal, hair, glass
ClassificationsJewellery
DimensionsOverall: Length: 1.3 cm, Height: 1.8 cm, Width: 0.4 cm
AcquisitionPresented in 1973 by The Misses Duguid.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS000589
About MeThis small, sentimental, oval, gold locket features an engraved design of a cross and flowers. The locket is hinged, and inside lies a lock of human hair fixed behind a glass panel.

The notion of keeping physical mementos of a person, dead or alive, is thousands of years old. Using a lock of hair in a remembrance piece, such as a locket, has been popular for many centuries. However, pieces of jewellery containing intricate patterns made from hair began to appear during the 17th century.

The craft of hairwork jewellery really took off in the 19th century as the fashion for sentimental jewellery grew.

It is likely that this piece was worn as a love token, however the ivy, which represents immortality and love and the cross that is engraved on one side might suggest that this was possibly a mourning piece.

More About Me
This is possibly a mourning piece: the locket opens to a lock of human hair behind glass and the engraving includes a cross as well as ivy, which represents both love and immortality