Mastery of Design: The Emanuel Harry Brooch, 1850-1873

Brooch
Enamel, Gold, Pearls, Crystal, Hair
1850-1875, Emanuel Harry
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve looked at several pieces of jewelry which serves as symbols of love. This brooch of gold, enamel and pearls shows yet another symbol of eternal affection. Designed by Emanuel Harry between 1850 and 1873, the brooch relies on the “language of flowers,” employing enameled blue Forget-me-nots as a symbols of love. These surround an embossed scene of a bird protecting her nest of eggs—representatives of home and married life.
Eternal love and marriage were expressed in a variety of ways: hearts, cupids, flowers, hands, anchors, knots, musical instruments or animals. Jewels with such a message were quite popular with Victorian shoppers who often chose such gifts as tokens for anniversaries or during courtship. These pieces of jewelry often concealed compartments in the reverse into which a lock of hair could be placed.  This brooch contains a lock of hair behind an ovoid sheet of crystal.  The hair curls gracefully against a blue background which matches the enameled flowers on the front of the brooch.