Memento mori mourning frames with hair art

 All of these hand made mourning frames are Napoleon III or Victorian, made in the 19th century, with human hair, all in memory of (deceased) loved ones.

 All the white spots in the pictures are off course reflections of light on the glass!

    memento mori 247

French mourning frame with palette hair work. Initials: FR. The wooden frame is in good condition!  The hair work in good condition , but 1 small piece loose in the frame! frame 18 cm x 15 cm

     memento mori 244

  French mourning frame with palette hair work. Hair from a deceased child under glass dome: a picture of the loved child surrounded by beautiful flowers! Wooden frame with brass rim around the domed glass with a slightly rusted spot on the right! The beautiful hair work is in very good condition ! frame: 18 cm x 21 cm .

     memento mori 243

  Beautiful and big French mourning frame with hair work. Beautiful thick and long braid surrounded with old fabric flowers. A picture of the deceased.  All in very good condition for their age!
Frame:  33 x 43 cm

  memento mori 238

  Very fine mourning frame, Victorian memento mori, with palette hair work: a bouquet of flowers.  In good condition! Frame: 16 cm x 14 cm

 

    memento mori 235

  Lovely French memento mori hair work on a cellulloid box with simple but nice hair work. The sides and bottom of the box are beautifully decorated, but very hard to get on picture!
The box is in great condition! Rare piece!! diameter box: 9,5 cm .  ca 2,8 cm high

    memento mori 232

  Very fine mourning frame, Victorian memento mori, with palette hair work: a flower, surrounded by a wreath.  From before 1864 !! On the back the old label of the hair artist, residing in Paris, patented in France and Belgium. In hand writing is mentioned that the shop will move on the 15th of January 1864 to another number in the same street.
Frame: 13,5 cm x 12,5 cm

  memento mori 228

  Beautiful and delicate French mini ature mourning frame with palette hair work. A grave monument, under a weeping willow, symbol of sorrow and grief. In the background, a part of another grave monument with pillars.Not sure in what material the monument is! The ground, the trees are all made of human hair. The memento mori is gorgeous, like a miniature painting!! so detailed!
The palette hair work is in perfect condition! frame: 11,5 x 11,5 cm .

    memento mori 225

  Exquisite French mourning frame with beautiful palette hair work, with some other pieces; fabric? I am not sure. in good condition. frame: 14,5 x 16,5 cm .

    memento mori 224 

Lovely and detailed mourning frame with palette hair work. Some small spots on the brass ring in the wooden frame. exTt: ¨ souvenir de famille". frame: 23 x 27 cm .

      memento mori 222

  Beautiful French mourning frame with palette hair work!  in good condition!  text; 'Pieux souvenir , L.D. 21 septembre 1895' (pieux = pious). frame: 18 x 15 cm .
 

     memento mori 221

  French mourning frame with palette hair work. in good condition ! text; R.D. décédée le 6 mars 1885 (décédée is for a woman; décédé is for a man). frame: 14 cm x 12 cm .
 

     memento mori 220 

French mourning frame with palette hair work.3 violets. All in good condition! frame: 14,5 cm x 12,5 cm .

  memento mori 219

  French mourning frame with palette hair work,  in good condition ! Text: Souvenir de mon epoux (from my husband). frame: 12,5 cm x 11 cm .

    memento mori 218

  French mourning frame with blonde palette hair work. a beautiful blonde bouquet of flowers in perfect condition! Text: A notre fille.... The text on the glass makes a shadow over the work in the picture. Wooden frame with small damage on the top right corner. The beautiful hair work is in very good condition! frame: 25,5 cm x 21 cm .

 

     memento mori 204

  Nice memento mori in gimp hair work!All the flowers are made of hair, in gimp work!! Domed glass. Apparently the background has been replaced. The frame has been glued together again, and is OK! The hair work is in very good condition for its age! size : 16,5 x 19 cm

    memento mori 203

  Beautiful and delicate miniature mourning frame with palette hair work. A grave monument, under a weeping willow, symbol of sorrow and grief. Hand painted background.
The tomb, the ground, the trees are all made with human hair. The memento mori is slightly smaller than the frame, but put on a light background, so it does not disturb at all. Please see picture.
frame:  11 x 11 cm .
 

    memento mori 201

  Hair worked into a bouquet of curls and a flower. Text: H. G (or C) 14 april 1897. Hair work in very good condition. Frame: 14 cm x 16 cm .
An almost identical hair work as my memento mori 200, with the same text and from the same artist.Might have been made for 2 siblings!

    memento mori 200

  Hair worked into a bouquet of curls and a flower. Text: H. G (or C) 14 april 1897. Hair work in very good condition. Frame: 14 cm x 16 cm .
An almost identical hair work as my memento mori 201, with the same text and from the same artist.Might have been made for 2 siblings!

    memento mori 193

  RARE MUSEUM PIECE !! Extraordinary French memento mori hair work on a box or 'boite à mouche'. with exquisite hair work.
The 'boite à mouche' box held patches (the little black dots men and women, alike, applied to their faces in mid-1700s to late 1700s).
This box was made around 1800; late 1700's or early Empire era (1804 - 8015) at the latest!
The scene sits on top of an ivory background. The lid is made of tortoise shell. (not sure about the bottom of the box). A gold plated rim around the domed glass.
Hair exquisitely worked into a lovely scene with a woman near a tomb under a slightly domed glass. Text on the tomb: 'A ta piété filiale, l'amitié et le reconnaissance vous les offre'.
Difficult to translate! Google suggested: 'To your filial piety, friendship and gratitude offer them to you.' but is not completely correct!!
The box is beautifully decorated!  The lid is in perfect condition! the box underneath has a split little sliver but still closes. (picture) . The hair work is in great condition for its age!!
diameter box: 6,5 cm . 2 cm high

    memento mori 187

  French mourning frame with palette hair work: a bouquet of flowers; in good condition!  frame:  14,5 cm x 18 cm .

  memento mori 184

  Very fine miniature, mourning frame with palette hair work. Text: Mon (coeur) , ma (fleur) sont pour toi = My (heart, my (flower) are for you. In perfect condition! frame: 10,5 x 10,5 cm . 

  memento mori 181    

Very fine miniature, mourning frame with palette hair work. A grave monument, under a weeping willow, symbol of sorrow and grief. The tomb, the ground, the plants, and the wreath around are all made with human hair. The hair work is in perfect condition! frame: 10,5 x 10,5 cm .

  memento mori 180

  Rare mourning frame with palette hair work. A cross and a heart surrounded by a wreath. Lovely memento mori in great condition!!  frame: 17,5 x 15 cm

    memento mori 179

  Incredibly fine miniature, mourning frame with dissolved hair and palette hair work. Very rare!!! A flower pot with roses!! The hair work is in very good condition! 1 minuscule piece loose in the frame (top left). A few tiny blemishes on the frame, but nothing serious! frame:  11 x 11 cm .
On the back a little French poem:
'Les fleurs qu'amour plaisir cultivent à .... se flérissent à peine ....
mais en tout temp on a des roses dans le jardin de l'amitié.'
The translation goes more or less like this:
Flowers of love cultivate .... barely bloom ...
but (you) always have roses in the garden of friendship.

    memento mori 173   

  Lovely and detailed mourning frame with palette hair work.  a GRave monument with a cross, under a weeping willow, symbol of sorrow and grief. A dove flying by, symbol of eternal peace.
The tomb, the ground, the scrubs , the flowers are all made with human hair in absolutely great condition!!  Text: ¨Precieux souvenir de notre chère Eugénie Dupret, décédée le 19 Février 1883, agée de 15 ans. Celle a emporté nos regrets éternels". = Precious souvenir of our dear Eugénie Dupret, died on 19th of Febuary 1883, 15 years old. This brought us our eternal regrets.
frame: 20 x 17 cm .

  memento mori 172

 Gorgeous memento mori in gimp hair work!All the flowers are made of hair, decorated with many tiny coloured beads. Set in a wooden shadow box frame in very good condition. Domed glass.
The hair art is in very good condition! size :. 22 x 18 cm
 

  memento mori 168

  French mourning frame with palette hair work: a beautiful blonde bouquet of flowers in perfect condition! Initials: E. R. in very good condition! frame: 8 cm x 15 cm . Hair artist: Catherine et Fils, Orleans, France


 

  memento mori 167

  Beautiful mourning frame, Victorian memento mori, with palette hair work. Hair worked into a flower, surrounded by a wreath. Text: 'Léonie Maury' (Very similar to number 166).
Hair work in very good condition. Frame:14 cm x 16,5 cm .

  memento mori 166

  Beautiful mourning frame, Victorian memento mori, with palette hair work. Hair worked into a flower, surrounded by a wreath. Text: 'Léonie Maury' (Very similar to number 167).
Hair work in very good condition. Frame:14 cm x 16,5 cm .
 

    memento mori 159

  Nice miniature, mourning frame with palette hair work. A grave monument, under a weeping willow, symbol of sorrow and grief. Beautifully hand painted background. The tomb, the ground, the trees are all made with human hair. The memento mori is slightly smaller than the frame, but put on a light background, so it does not disturb at all. The palette hair work is in perfect condition!
frame: 11,5 x 11,5 cm .

  memento mori 150

  French mourning frame with palette hair work. initials: F M. The wooden frame is in very good condition! The hair work is in very good condition too! frame: 14,5 cm x 12,5 cm . Hair artist: Louis Huguet, at Lyon, Rhone, France

  memento mori 148

 French mourning frame with palette hair work. text: 'precieux souvenir de notre fille, Leonie Bourgois, décédée le 12 mars 1872 à l'age de 21 and et 9 mois' (precious souvenir of our daughter, Leonie Bourgois, who died the 12th of March 1872 at the age of 21 years and 9 months). The wooden frame is in good condition!  The hair work is in very good condition too! frame: 19 cm x 16,5 cm .
 

  memento mori 145
 

  French mourning frame with beautiful hair work. The hair work is in good condition for its age! frame: 22 cm x 28 cm .

  memento mori 138

  Small but very fine French mourning frame with beautiful hair work. The hair work is in very good condition for its age! Very fine gimp hair work! frame: 11 cm x 12,5 cm .

  memento mori 135

  French mourning frame with beautiful hair work. The hair work is in good condition for its age!! 1 tiny half leaf half way up on the left side is missing. Initials: G A F A.  1886 ! frame: 13 cm x 15,5 cm  

    memento mori 128

   French mourning frame with beautiful hair work. Hair from a deceased loved one under glass dome. Wooden oval frame with brass rim around the domed glass. The black lacquered wooden frame is in good condition! The hair work is in very good condition for its age! Initials: M S. frame: 13 cm x 15,5 cm .

      memento mori 126 

BIG MEMENTO MORI with !! SUPERB GIMP HAIR WORK ! QUALITY PIECE !!
All the flowers are made in gimp work!! decorated with tiny glass beads.The last picture with a 'normal' sized memento mori, shows the size of this work!
Set in a big ornate wooden frame, in good condition! Some dust inside and the picture has come unglued. The hair art itself is in very good condition!
!! size : 60 x 50 cm; and ca. 2 inch / 5 cm deep !!  

    memento mori 125

  HUGE MEMENTO MORI with  SUPERB GIMP HAIR WORK !! MUSEUM QUALITY PIECE !!!
Superb quality hair art!! All the flowers are made in gimp work!! All the flowers are made in gimp work!!The hair art is on a kind of moiré fabric background, set in a beautiful gilt wooden frame in great condition and the whole piece again in a black frame, 3,4 inch / 8,6 cm deep. The back is younger. A very small crack in the glass at the rim of the frame, nothing serious, but I want to mention it.  The last picture with a 'normal' sized memento mori, shows the incredible size of this work!!
The hair art itself is in very good condition for its age!!!
!! size : 76 x 71 cm; and  8,6 cm deep !!

    memento mori 123

  French mourning frame with beautiful hair work.Hair from a deceased loved one under glass dome. The black lacquered wooden frame is in good condition! The hair work is in very good condition for its age!! Text: Souvenir de famille. frame: 13 cm x 11,5 cm .

  memento mori 19

 Mourning frame, Victorian memento mori, with palette hairwork from a deceased loved one under domed glass. Hair worked into a bouquet of flowers, Initials: L H. The flowers move a little in the frame, but I did not want to open it, not to distroy the text on the back. Hair work in very good condition. Frame: 14,5 cm high and 12,5 cm wide.

  SOME OF MY SOLD BEAUTIES:

EXQUISITE MUSEUM QUALITY PIECE !! WITH 11 MINIATURE MEMENTO MORI'S!!  BRILLIANTLY  DETAILED !!

    SOLD  Click on the pictures! 

11 pc of unbelievable quality miniature hair work!! One with a cornucopia, the middle one with a cross and wreath, one with 2 hearts, 2 with flower baskets full of flowers .. Also the baskets are made of hair!! Some flowers used in these little miracles: sun flower, cornflower, violets, roses, daisies.... 11 exquisite French mourning frames with beautiful minuscule palette hair work. Dated '4/5/1902'. The biggest ones: 5,5 x 4 cm and the smallest ones: 2,5 x 2 cm .

    SOLD Click on the pictures! 

  GIANT MEMENTO MORI in hand sculpted Black Forest wooden frame! MUSEUM QUALITY PIECE ! UNIQUE PIECE !stunning quality hair art!
A cemetery with a grave monument behind a fence, under an extensive weeping willow. Flowers and small trees in the foreground. A dove in the air and a dove left on the ground.
In the tree, left and right, there are 2 brass rings looking like weddings rings. The whole scene surrounded by hair pieces. On the stone: 'Souvenir de famille' and initials underneath.
The last picture with a 'normal' sized memento mori, shows the incredible size of this work!! The whole art work shows the museum quality of this piece!! It really is unique!! 
Set in a Black Forest hand sculpted wooden frame, in perfect condition! In superb condition! frame: 80 x 53 cm. 23 cm thick.

Dissolved hair = hair, pulverized as if creating a pigment for painting, often called sepia. The finely ground hair was mixed with a vehicle such as gum arabic, creating a material that was painted with fine brushes.
 

references: gothic, goth, death, mausoleum, cemetary, graveyard.... mourning, palette hair work, gimp hair work, mourning frames, human hair, deceased loved ones, in memoriam, memento mori, mausoleum, death related.