Accession Number

984.080.001a-b

Description

a) One shadow box frame containing b) one decorative wreath made of human and horse hair, the core of the wreath embellished with a heart-shaped arrangement also made of human and horse hair.

Narrative

This hair wreath in a shadow-box frame was made by Miss Sarah Hunter in the area of Keene/Otonabee, Ontario between 1866 and 1870. She made similar wreaths from plant seeds. The wreath is made from her parent’s hair, her own hair, and that of her six sisters. The light grey hair is from a family horse.

During the 19^th century, many types of art objects and items of jewellery were made from human hair. Some of it was made to memorialize a dead person, but hair art was also made to mark happier things such as a friendship. Hair was collected from dresser hair brushes and sometimes put into a hair receiver, a container made just for that purpose (see 993.001.001a-b). It was then soaked in water and borax before being scraped with a special knife and then woven, or shaped and stiffened into the desired position with glue and wire.  The seated woman in the photograph accompanying this record is Sarah Hunter. It was taken later in life when she was known as Mrs. Peter Hewie. The photograph can be seen by clicking on the record for her name below.

History of Use

The donor of this framed hair wreath was the great-niece of Sarah Hunter, the wreath's maker. She made it between 1866 and 1870. Sarah gave the wreath to her sister, who gave it to her daughter, who then gave it to her daughter who donated the object to The Castle Society.

Date

1866 – 1870

Dimensions

84.5 x 84.5 cm

Material

Hair, Human; Hair, horsehair; Wood; Glass

Technique

Knotted

Country of Origin

Canada