Hair Bracelet

Hair Bracelet
Yellow gold and hair
Date: 1839-1849
2011.06.10 Gift from Lattie Noel Brown

Hair work bracelet with yellow gold filled box clasp. This rectangular clasp measures approximately 20.59 millimeters wide by approximately 17.73 millimeters tall. The center is decorated with a double flower and leaf motif and framed in blue glass enamel and a band of hand engraved antheniam leaves. Completing the clasp and flanking it are two hollow plaques, also gold filled, framed in blue glass enamel measuring approximately 20.60 millimeters each at the top and tapering to approximately 17 millimeters at the ends where they meet and contain 7 separate coils of woven hair. The flower motif is repeated here.

The entire clasp measures approximately 39 millimeters closed and approximately 6.2 millimeters thick. The entire bracelet measures approximately 7 inches or 17 centimeters open. The center of the clasp is hand engraved, in script, on the back, “A. Franklin.”