Antique

The Art of Accessories: A hand-braided hairwork necklace

The Art of Accessories: A hand-braided hairwork necklace

This hairwork necklace is circa 1845 and is part of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts collection in Little Rock, Arkansas. Constructed of braided hair and gold, it arrived at The Center displayed on a fabric-lined mount. The metal components exhibited minimal grime and oxidation, with solder marks on the two clasps that hold the chained cross at the top and the proper right end of the cross. Tears and fraying hair were noted on fourteen braided orbs; the damage varied, including missing material and deformations. The gold cap on the bottom of the cross was also missing. But, the focus of this treatment would be the hairwork beads and cross.

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