Collections Online

Mercy Otis Warren brooch

Mercy Otis Warren brooch fold, seed pearls, crystal, gold foil, hair
Image 1 of 1

To order an image, navigate to the full
display and click "request this image"
on the blue toolbar.


[ This description is from the project: The Tradition of Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry: 17th to 19th Centuries ]

This brooch contains the hair of Mercy Otis Warren and is surrounded by 35 pearls and an inner band of gold coil. Abigail Adams had this brooch made to celebrate the renewal of her friendship with Mercy Otis Warren in 1812. While not specifically a mourning piece, it is in the style of hair mementos also used for remembering the dead at the time.