Victorian Mourning Memento with Pressed Botanical Flower – Dated 1861

Victorian Mourning Memento with Pressed Botanical Flower – Dated 1861

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(Ebonised Frame with Convex Glass – Objet d’Art Stuff Collection)

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A moving relic of love and remembrance from the Victorian age, this beautifully preserved memento dates precisely to 1861, the year that changed Britain’s emotional landscape forever.

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The piece is enclosed within a deep circular ebonised frame, typical of mid-19th-century mourning art. Though often called “ebony,” such frames were most commonly made from stained or lacquered fruitwood — hand-finished to emulate the deep lustre of exotic ebony, now highly protected under CITES. This method, known as ebonising, allowed artisans to create sombre, dignified memorials that mirrored the aesthetic of luxury without excess.

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Beneath a domed convex glass, the delicate pressed botanical composition remains remarkably intact. A single flower — possibly a violet or iris, symbolic of faithfulness and eternal memory — is arranged with slender leaves in a wreath formation, representing eternity. Around it, a fine gilt slip provides a gentle halo of light, contrasting beautifully against the black frame. Below, faintly inscribed in pencil, is the poignant date “1861.”

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That year marked the death of Prince Albert, plunging Queen Victoria and, indeed, much of Britain into mourning. As grief became ritualised, sentimental keepsakes like this became tokens of devotion — small, private shrines to lost loved ones. These artworks often incorporated flowers from funerals or significant places and were sealed behind glass to preserve their fragile beauty.

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The reverse retains its original hand-cut paper backing, now timeworn and softly foxed, a testament to more than 160 years of quiet preservation. It appears never to have been opened — its seal still intact — suggesting that the floral arrangement and inscription are entirely original to 1861.

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This is not merely a decorative relic, but a piece that carries the emotional weight of a bygone era — a tangible link to the intimate, poetic customs of mourning that defined Victorian domestic life.

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Details

Date: 1861 (clearly inscribed)

Origin: England

Materials: Ebonised wood (fruitwood), convex glass, gilt slip, pressed botanical specimens, paper backing

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Diameter: 10–12 cm

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Condition: Excellent for its age; the glass is secure, floral elements intact, with minor age-related wear to the frame and backing.

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Collectors’ Interest

Highly collectible among enthusiasts of Victorian sentimental art, mourning memorabilia, and botanical curiosities. This piece embodies the restrained beauty of 19th-century remembrance culture — ideal for display in a cabinet of curiosities, period interior, or fine art collection.

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Price: £150

Available exclusively at: www.objetdart-stuff.co.uk

(Antique – Not for reproduction. Sustainable, pre-1947 ebonised fruitwood. Ships in eco-conscious packaging.)