Victorian Mourning Relic Made Of Worked Hair

Rare and touching Victorian mourning relic, dating from the second half of the 19th century, originating from France.

This piece is a composition made entirely from human hair — a practice typical of devotional and family remembrance in the 1800s, particularly during the Victorian era, when mourning rituals and remembrance of the deceased took on intimate and artistically elaborate forms.

The relic is preserved in its original wooden frame with convex glass, designed to be hung as a domestic shrine. The original hook on the back is still present and fully functional.

Dimensions: H 21 cm, W 17 cm, D 3 cm – Weight: 187 grams

On the surface, a moving handwritten dedication can be read:
“À Marie, une mère la remercie et lui demande de protéger son fils Jean Boudet.”
("To Mary, a mother thanks her and asks her to protect her son Jean Boudet.")
Simple yet deeply meaningful words, placing the object within a context of faith, grief, and maternal protection.

In the 19th century — especially during the Victorian period — using the hair of the deceased to create mourning keepsakes was a common and socially accepted practice. Hair, being the only part of the body that does not easily decay, was braided, sewn, or shaped into floral arrangements, wreaths, lockets, or framed pictures. These items were kept in glass domes, worn as jewelry, or displayed in frames, becoming true objects of tangible memory.
The intent was twofold: to preserve a physical part of the loved one, and to keep their presence alive in daily life, resisting the erosion of time.

These pieces could be crafted by professional artists, but were often made at home using tools and techniques passed down through families. The act held deep emotional and symbolic value, often carrying a near-ritual significance. In Victorian society, death was not taboo, but a part of life, surrounded by aesthetic codes and a distinct poetics of loss.

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