A handsome late Victorian French jet Spanish style mourning hair ornament

CONDITION: good vintage condition with expected wear

SIZE: 6 ins h x 4 ins w (14 x 10 cm) decorative part 3 ins h (7.5 cm)

APPROXIMATE DATE:1880s - 1900

MATERIALS: celluloid, French jet

DESCRIPTION:

Here is a large and impressive Victorian mourning hair comb which is made in the Spanish style. This means that it has a top or heading which stands proud of the head rather than wrapping around the back of the skull.

The foundation is of glossy black celluloid adorned with numerous beads of faceted French jet. French jet is a glittering form of black glass which has nothing to do with France, but was produced mainly in Bohemia, now part of modern Czechoslovakia, in the late 19th and early 20th century when it was extremely popular for jewellery making.

The collage photograph shows several illustrations taken from contemporary sources and depicts ornaments and costume intended to be worn by those in mourning.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

The effect of mourning etiquette upon the production of jewellery and personal ornaments was very marked. This etiquette decreed that in deep mourning, the widow and close relative of the deceased must dress in plain dark garments with a long veil hanging from the bonnet. The only ornaments allowed to be worn at this time were those of jet, which is a natural material found in Whitby, a small town on the East coast of the UK. In order to extend the supply of jet when it became exhausted, various other materials were employed. French jet and black celluloid were commonly employed as substitutes.