Locket

Unknown

1706 · Gold, hair, and crystal · The American Wing

The earliest jewelry made and owned in America was of a sentimental nature, related either to courtship and marriage or to death and mourning. In this heart-shaped locket, a faceted crystal was secured to the gold back by a crimped, scalloped edge. Beneath the glass, a tightly woven plait of light brown hair, a common addition to mourning jewelry, was laid onto a silk background. An engraved skull appears on the reverse, along with the death date of the deceased, whose identity remains unknown.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1706

Medium

Gold, hair, and crystal

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Susan and Jon Rotenstreich Gift, 2000