Natalie Heidaripour chose….

Mourning brooches, early 20th century

I chose the brooches because I think they are quite sweet but are also a bit creepy, especially the black 'mother' brooch. I am interested in the different approaches to mourning and remembrance across history and cultures and these brooches were part of that at one time.

Natalie Heidaripour is the Project Officer (Peace & Reconciliation Gallery) for the Herbert

What the curator says:

Mourning brooches, early 20th century, collected in 1978

Victorians established strict conventions about how long people had to stay in mourning and what they could wear. A widow was expected to mourn her husband for two years, wearing only black in the first year. These conventions began to be relaxed in the 20th century, particularly after the First World War.

Mourning jewellery in the Victorian period was usually made of a black mineral called jet. In the 20th century other materials were used. The brooch on the right may be jet or an early type of plastic. It is very hard to tell these apart, even under a microscope. The brooch on the left is made of a hard, dark wood called lignum vitae. The copper brooch originally had a gold finish.