Artist Revives Lost Art of Hairwork: Creating jewelry using human and animal hair.
One hundred years ago it was common for women to make and wear jewelry made from a loved ones hair. The art is almost lost today, but artist Katie Mello hopes to revive the art by creating pieces from shorter hair, and pet fur.
(PRWEB) August 24, 2004 -- The use of human hair in art and jewelry was
popularized more than one hundred and fifty years ago yet remains mostly
forgotten today. In Victorian times, it was common for a woman to wear a brooch
constructed from her own hair and for a man to carry his watch on a chain made
from a lock of his wife's hair. A Civil War soldier could have a bit of his hair
woven into a locket to be treasured by his loved ones. And when a loved one
died, a wreath could be constructed containing flowers crafted from the hair of
the deceased. This is the art of hairwork, in which artist Katie Mello seeks to
rekindle widespread interest.
Hairwork fell out of
fashion in the beginning of the 1900's. As photography became more accessible to
the masses, pictures of loved ones soon replaced locks of hair as tokens of
remembrance. Today, as we are bombarded with a multitude of images still and
moving, a lock of hair becomes something precious once
again.
The art of hairwork shares a similar history
with knitting and other needlework. Women created beautiful pieces in their
spare time using knowledge and skill passed down through oral tradition. They
rarely documented patterns or instructions thereby contributing to hairwork's
lost art status.
Katie Mello trained as a metalsmith
and was fascinated by the idea of jewelry made from human hair. After an
exhaustive search, it was through the Internet that she found her first examples
of quality hairwork. The Hairwork Society website contains a wealth of valuable
information about hairwork, its history, and people still creating it today.
Eventually Katie was able to purchase antique pieces of hairwork jewelry, most
of which were created in the 1800's. After examining these pieces, she was able
to begin creating her own hairwork jewelry.
Hair is a medium like no other. It has properties of both
thread and wire and if cared for properly can last well over one hundred years.
It is free, and yet irreplaceable.
Katie Mello has
begun offering custom made hairwork through her own website www.hairlooms.net. In an
effort to update the art, she creates stylish pieces from pet hair as well as
human hair. Katie has three cats and understands the bond people can have with
their pets. Hairwork is a wonderful way to keep a loved one near and a personal
expression to keep a memory alive. In a frantic society, with families separated
by distance and kids going off to war, it is important to keep your family close
to your heart. Hairlooms.net also offers a history of hairwork jewelry along
with photos of antique works.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/8/prweb152025.htm