content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilded metal bouquet holder with mother of pearl handle. The funnel-shaped vase is comprised of mesh bands with small fleur-de-lis and large hemispheres around the upper portion. A short length of chain connects a floral pin to the side of the vase. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder. The spindle handle is made from turned mother of pearl. Mother of pearl handles retained a cool feeling longer than some other materials; because of this, they were said to be appropriate for warmer months. A second length of chain connected to a ring is attached to loop around the tip of the handle. The ring would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine at the waist to free the lady's hands while dancing.

label: Label Text

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: mother of pearl

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Gilded metal, mother of pearl

label: Dimensions

content: 5 × 2 in. (12.7 × 5.1 cm)

content: Gothic Revival

content: <I>Bouquet holder, ball ornaments, mother of pearl handle</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, BALL ORNAMENTS, MOTHER OF PEARL HANDLE</I>


unitCode: HAC

type: edanmdm

label: Date

content: ca. 1879-1962

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: In mourning symbolism, symbols of rest and peace became popular and consoling options. A popular flower frame design for funerals that alluded to rest was the Star and Crescent. The star, when together with the crescent, was symbolic of the sleep of a pure and innocent soul. As such, this design was specifically suited to infants, but it appeared at funerals of all ages and genders. Symbols such as this were popular because they create a sense of comfort by implying the loved one is at rest from the struggles of daily life. Both the star and the crescent also appeared separately or with other symbols in funeral tributes.

content: Set pieces or set designs were among the most popular floral arrangements in the second half of the nineteenth century. The term set piece is a usually applied to designs in a wide variety of forms, which are often symbolic in character. Shapes that expressed an overall theme for an occasion were very fashionable, such as designs made to depict the profession, associations, or hobbies of an individual. These flower arrangements were ordered for special celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Typical of the Victorian style, these designs were elaborate and massive, but unlike other forms of flower arrangement, the set piece was exclusively made by the professional florist.

content: Set pieces were usually made up on wire frames in the desired shape, which acted as a foundation for the floral arrangement. Commercially produced, heavy-gaged wire frames, fabricated from either plain or copper-plated wire, became available for flower arrangements between 1860 and 1864. The retail florist business was enhanced considerably by the high demand for arrangements on flower frames in the nineteenth century, and wire frames quickly became the basis of the retail florist’s inventory. The frames could be obtained for little cost to the florist, and if he managed to retrieve the skeleton after the occasion, it could be reused. Wire frames came in both straight and curved outlines and either as a box (three-dimensional frame) or flat frame. Most designs came in several sizes and could be hung or placed on a stand or were free-standing. Standard forms in wire works catalogues ranged in size from 10 to 60 inches. Outside of the standard frame designs offered in wireworks and florist’s supplies catalogues, designs could be made for almost any occasion, with some large enough to make life-sized reproductions.

content: Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century floral fashions changed. Some set pieces faded in popularity by the early 1900s, but some remained favorites well into the 1940’s. Many of these same designs are still used today, but the wire frames have been replaced by shapes made from more modern materials to save the florists’ time in making up the arrangement, as well as providing water to the flowers allowing for greater longevity.

content: crescents (shapes)

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: stars

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of H. Weber & Sons Company.

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 33 × 16 × 9 1/2 in. (83.8 × 40.6 × 24.1 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Crescents (shapes)
Stars
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Secret societies
Weddings
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Holidays
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems

label: Title

content: <I>Wire frame, crescent & star on stand</I>

unit_code: HAC

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, CRESCENT & STAR ON STAND</I>

data_source: Smithsonian Gardens

type: Images

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver vase with tripod stand. The vase of this bouquet holder is tulip shaped. The panels splay outward and are etched with floral and foliate designs. Above these vignettes, the panels angle vertically ending in jagged edges; there surface is modeled with a curvaceous forms. The panels are joined to a column with pointed arches bordering the top and bottom. It joins the vase to the handle with a smooth band. A chain with a pin attached is connected to the band and is inserted through the vase of the bouquet holder. This feature would secure a posy in the vase. The base of the bouquet holder can either act as a straight handle or tripod stand. The three spring-mechanized legs are tapered. Each leg is etched with arabesques that cover the surface. A cap connected to a chain could be screwed around the legs of the tripod in order to hold them together thus creating a single straight handled bouquet holder.

label: Label Text

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular, almost mandatory, fashion accessory in the nineteenth century. Small bouquets, called nosegays, posies, or tussie mussies were carried by debutantes, matrons, and girls, and they were a popular gift in the mid to late 1800s among friends and suitors. They were typically created in concentric rings of flowers, tightly wound together, and were often tied with ribbon or placed in a bouquet holder depending on the tastes and fashions. By the 1830s carrying small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets’, and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Queen Victoria helped popularize the bouquet holder, and she is seen holding one in her portrait “Queen Victoria at the Drury Lane Theatre, November 1837” painted by E.T. Parris. When the fashion of carrying hand bouquets in decorative holders caught the fancy of the wealthy and middle class, holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

label: Origin

content: Great Britain, possibly

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of Frances Jones Poetker.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

content: 7 × 1 1/2 in. (17.8 × 3.8 cm)

label: Style

content: Renaissance Revival

topic:
Silver
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets

type: Country

content: Great Britain

content: <I>Bouquet holder, tripod, flower motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, TRIPOD, FLOWER MOTIF</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1830-1920

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver-plated brass bouquet holder with loop handle. The vase of the bouquet holder incorporates a Greek key motif, set at a slight angle with sweeping tendrils both above and below which creates a crown like lip. The pierced design was stamped in three repeats. Both the scrolls and Greek key designs have applied silver beadwork tracing their forms. This mixture of classical, curvilinear, and natural motifs is representative of the interest in historicism and the natural world which characterizes much of nineteenth century design. There is a large hole for a floral pin at a join near the top of the vase. This pin would be used to pierce the stems of the bouquet to secure the flowers in the holder. The handle begins with a closed blossom and leaves, the stem of which loops up and curls around the base creating a ring. A fragmentary chain comprised of loops alternating with flower-stamped links is attached to the bud on the handle. This chain might have been connected to the floral pin or ring, which would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine at the waist to free the lady's hands while dancing.

content: Birmingham, England, possibly

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Brass, silver-plating

label: Dimensions

content: 5 7/16 × 1 7/8 in. (13.8 × 4.8 cm)

content: Renaissance Revival

place: England Birmingham

topic:
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets

type: City

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, Greek key motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, GREEK KEY MOTIF</I>

title: <I>Bouquet holder, Greek key motif</I>


content: ca. 1860-1940

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: The Stopped Clock flower frame was one of the symbols of mortality, collectively referred to as Memento Mori (Remember you will die), that were used to remind of the brevity of life on earth and encourage living a good life. Instead of a direct, explicit reference to death, such as the skull or skeleton, the clock was used to evoke the mortal condition of mankind and time running out. The Stopped Clock flower frame was most suitable for men in the prime life. This design was also based on the ritual of stopping the clocks when a person dies. The clock would then be restarted after the burial. This custom continued well into the twentieth century and is still practiced by some today. The time on the clock flower frame was significant of the time of death. In these floral designs, a white face indicated that the time of death was before noon, and a purple face meant it had occurred after noon.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: clocks

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 28 × 17 × 6 in. (71.1 × 43.2 × 15.2 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Secret societies
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems
Clocks

content: <I>Wire frame, clock</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, CLOCK</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, clock</I>


content: ca. 1879-1962

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: The Cross was one of the most frequently used floral frames in the nineteenth century, and it continues to be used today. Crosses could be large or small, and were free-standing, placed on a stand or placed on top of the coffin. Crosses were also commonly combined with other floral frames, such as a crown or star. This set design was popular for religious celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Dating back to early Christianity, the cross was often used as a standard and became the chief emblem of the Christian faith. For the funeral, the cross was suitable for all ages and genders depending on the color and flowers used. Inscriptions for the cross design were meant to both proclaim the faith of the deceased and provide comfort for the bereaved, such as “We Look Beyond the Cross,” “No Cross, No Crown,” and “Simply to Thy Cross I Cling.” These phrases often evoked the comfort of popular hymns and were reminders to have faith, hope, and trust in the Lord. Cross arrangements were also popular for church holidays and other special occasions. From the late nineteenth century to 1950, Easter was the single biggest holiday for floral designs, especially the cross set piece. A cross of callas or Easter lilies became an essential decoration for the church, as well as many homes and shop windows for the holiday, a custom which is still followed today.

content: crosses (objects)

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 28 × 17 1/2 × 1 in. (71.1 × 44.5 × 2.5 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Crosses (objects)
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Secret societies
Weddings
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Holidays
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems

label: Title

content: <I>Wire frame, cross with stars in middle & ends</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, CROSS WITH STARS IN MIDDLE & ENDS</I>


content: ca. 1879-1962

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: The Gates Ajar or Gates of Heaven set piece was an especially elaborate design and very popular in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It generally ranged from two to four feet high with either pointed or rounded arches over a pair of gates. A taxidermy dove, or less commonly a star, was often placed surmounting the arch. This design was used for the funerals of both men and women. This set piece was meant to portray the entrance to the heavenly realm, and the gates were usually left open to indicate the recent departure of the spirit into heaven. Open gates also implied that the connection with those who had passed was not completely severed, and nothing stood in the way of an eventual reunion in heaven. In nineteenth-century mourning culture, symbols of departure were commonly seen such as a finger pointing heavenward, the hand of God pulling a link from the family chain, hands clasped, and Heaven's open gates. A variation of this design, the Golden Way, incorporated a pathway in the foreground. Inscriptions were frequently included on the platform base of Gates Ajar designs such as "Gone Home.”

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: gates

content: heaven

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 48 × 30 × 15 in. (121.9 × 76.2 × 38.1 cm)

topic:
Heaven
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Weddings
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems
Gates

content: <I>Wire frame, gates ajar</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, GATES AJAR</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Wire frame, gates ajar</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilded vase with a blue enamel handle. The upper portion of the vase is fabricated from four repeats of elongated bands, which alternate between a stamped feather design and thin ribbon-like strips that loop over the lip of the vase. The centers of the ribbons are stamped and remnants of light blue enamel are present. The bowl of the vase is designed with elaborate metalwork on either side of two entwining bands, one with white enamel and dots and the other is smooth with green enamel. Small loops below connect to a ringed neck band with vertical-line bands alternating with enamel bands, and plain rings. The topmost band connects a chain attached to a pin that would have been inserted through holes near the top of the vase in order to secure the posy in the holder. The second band connects the vase to a tapered handle. The handle is comprised of dark blue enamel on copper sheet with gold and silver paillons. It is capped with a gilded brass ball stamped in two pieces. A loop for attachment of a chain and finger ring was soldered on the bottom, however both are missing. This feature would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine at the waist to free the lady's hands while dancing.

label: Label Text

label: Origin

content: France, possibly

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: brass (alloy)

content: copper enameling

content: enamel

content: gilding

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Exhibition

content: Floral Fashions: From Bouquets to Buttonholes

label: On View

content: Smithsonian Institution, Quadrangle, S. Dillon Ripley Center

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Gilded brass, enamal on copper, gold and silver paillons

content: 5 × 1 1/4 in. (12.7 × 3.2 cm)

label: Style

content: Rococo Revival

topic:
Gilding
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Brass (alloy)
Fashion
Decoration and ornament
Victoriana
Posy holders
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Copper enameling

building: Quadrangle

content: France

content: <I>Bouquet holder, feather vase, enamel handle</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, FEATHER VASE, ENAMEL HANDLE</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1860-1940

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Crown floral arrangements came in variety of shapes, both flat or “in the round” frames. Some crowns were incorporated into larger arrangements, often combined with other frames such as the book or the cross. Crown flower frames were used in the funerals of ladies and gentlemen and was especially popular with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. In mourning symbolism of the nineteenth century, crowns were symbolic of victory over death. Instead of the earthly crown of royalty, this symbol referred to the heavenly crown, which represented the attainment of celestial honors. Victory over death is rooted in the tenants of the Christian faith, and in the nineteenth century this concept was magnified. Death and eternity in heaven were seen as the victory of faithfulness. Symbols of victory reminded the Christian that whatever pain and suffering one may endure, they would come out on the other side into glory and heaven. In addition to symbolic shapes, references to victory were made through the “Language of Flowers” by using palm, laurel, or nasturtium. As they alluded to the reward at life’s end, set pieces in the form of victory symbols were especially suited to funerals, but they might also be used at other religious events and occasions.

content: Set pieces or set designs were among the most popular floral arrangements in the second half of the nineteenth century. The term set piece is a usually applied to designs in a wide variety of forms, which are often symbolic in character. Shapes that expressed an overall theme for an occasion were very fashionable, such as designs made to depict the profession, associations, or hobbies of an individual. These flower arrangements were ordered for special celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Typical of the Victorian style, these designs were elaborate and massive, but unlike other forms of flower arrangement, the set piece was exclusively made by the professional florist.

content: Set pieces were usually made up on wire frames in the desired shape, which acted as a foundation for the floral arrangement. Commercially produced, heavy-gaged wire frames, fabricated from either plain or copper-plated wire, became available for flower arrangements between 1860 and 1864. The retail florist business was enhanced considerably by the high demand for arrangements on flower frames in the nineteenth century, and wire frames quickly became the basis of the retail florist’s inventory. The frames could be obtained for little cost to the florist, and if he managed to retrieve the skeleton after the occasion, it could be reused. Wire frames came in both straight and curved outlines and either as a box (three-dimensional frame) or flat frame. Most designs came in several sizes and could be hung or placed on a stand or were free-standing. Standard forms in wire works catalogues ranged in size from 10 to 60 inches. Outside of the standard frame designs offered in wireworks and florist’s supplies catalogues, designs could be made for almost any occasion, with some large enough to make life-sized reproductions.

content: Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century floral fashions changed. Some set pieces faded in popularity by the early 1900s, but some remained favorites well into the 1940’s. Many of these same designs are still used today, but the wire frames have been replaced by shapes made from more modern materials to save the florists’ time in making up the arrangement, as well as providing water to the flowers allowing for greater longevity.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: crowns (costume components)

content: crowns (headdresses)

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Wire

label: Dimensions

content: 9 × 4 × 2 in. (22.9 × 10.2 × 5.1 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Crowns (costume components)
Emblems
Crowns (headdresses)

content: <I>Wire frames, crown</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAMES, CROWN</I>

title: <I>Wire frames, crown</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Bear’s tooth and silver bouquet holder pin. The vase is comprised of a large canine tooth of a bear with silver mounts. The upper portion is scalloped with embossed decoration surrounding a panel engraved with the name “Kathleen.” Above this are teardrop-shaped loops of silver surrounding a silver lobed orb. The tip of the tooth is also covered in an embossed mouth. At the end is a short length of chain connected to a floral pin. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder.

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular fashion accessory throughout the 1800s up to the mid-1900s. Carrying or wearing fresh flowers was an important aspect of not only fashion but of good breeding and refined tastes. Corsages worn by women and boutonnieres worn by men were essential elements of dress for the tasteful upper- and middle-class Americans and Europeans at social functions. Many wore flowers whenever they were in public, including President McKinley, who wore a carnation in his lapel every day. In 1840, Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV of the Great Britain and Hanover, introduced the fashion of tucking a small posy into a high waistband or sash, and Queen Victoria popularized the bouquet holder as seen in her portrait at the opera painted by E.T. Parris in 1838. By the 1830s carrying and wearing small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets,’ and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Some had a pin or clip attachment that allowed it to be worn on the clothing. These bouquet holders were usually light weight, so not to strain the garment. Similar holders were made for men to attach to their lapels and are often referred to as a boutonniere vase. Bouquet holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

label: Inscription(s)

content: Engraved name, "Kathleen" is on holder top

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tooth

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of Frances Jones Poetker.

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver, bear's tooth

content: 5 × 1 1/2 in. (12.7 × 3.8 cm)

topic:
Silver
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Tooth

label: Title

content: <I>Bouquet holder, "Kathleen" tooth</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, "KATHLEEN" TOOTH</I>

title: <I>Bouquet holder, "Kathleen" tooth</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: This tripod bouquet holder is formed in two sections. The upper portion is fashioned with four gilt brass panels in a stylized leaf shape to create the vase. The panels are separated by small openings. From the uppermost pierced holes a single bead dangles in each window. The surface of the leaves is designed with a geometric pattern of black crisscrossing lines and delicate etching which traces the borders. Inside the vase of the holder is a pin extending upward. This is an unusual feature that would have been used to pierce the flower and hold it in place. The vase section is united to the lower portion by a golden ball. The handle section forms a tripod base for the holder. It is etched with scrolling arabesques. The legs of the tripod, when closed, act as a handle, or they can be opened to create a free standing bouquet. A ring on a chain also allows the holder to be worn on the finger. An extra length of chain is also included around the base. This may have been used to secure the legs of the tripod together.

label: Label Text

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular, almost mandatory, fashion accessory in the nineteenth century. Small bouquets, called nosegays, posies, or tussie mussies were carried by debutantes, matrons, and girls, and they were a popular gift in the mid to late 1800s among friends and suitors. They were typically created in concentric rings of flowers, tightly wound together, and were often tied with ribbon or placed in a bouquet holder depending on the tastes and fashions. By the 1830s carrying small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets’, and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Queen Victoria helped popularize the bouquet holder, and she is seen holding one in her portrait “Queen Victoria at the Drury Lane Theatre, November 1837” painted by E.T. Parris. When the fashion of carrying hand bouquets in decorative holders caught the fancy of the wealthy and middle class, holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

label: Origin

content: Great Britain, possibly

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: gilding

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Gilded brass

content: 6 1/2 × 2 in. (16.5 × 5.1 cm)

content: Aesthetic Movement

topic:
Gilding
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets

exhibitionTitle: Floral Fashions: From Bouquets to Buttonholes

content: Great Britain

content: <I>Bouquet holder, tripod, balls</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, TRIPOD, BALLS</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Bouquet holder, tripod, balls</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1860-1940

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: The Cross was one of the most frequently used floral frames in the nineteenth century, and it continues to be used today. Crosses could be large or small, and were free-standing, placed on a stand or placed on top of the coffin. Crosses were also commonly combined with other floral frames, such as a crown or star. This set design was popular for religious celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Dating back to early Christianity, the cross was often used as a standard and became the chief emblem of the Christian faith. For the funeral, the cross was suitable for all ages and genders depending on the color and flowers used. Inscriptions for the cross design were meant to both proclaim the faith of the deceased and provide comfort for the bereaved, such as “We Look Beyond the Cross,” “No Cross, No Crown,” and “Simply to Thy Cross I Cling.” These phrases often evoked the comfort of popular hymns and were reminders to have faith, hope, and trust in the Lord. Cross arrangements were also popular for church holidays and other special occasions. From the late nineteenth century to 1950, Easter was the single biggest holiday for floral designs, especially the cross set piece. A cross of callas or Easter lilies became an essential decoration for the church, as well as many homes and shop windows for the holiday, a custom which is still followed today.

content: crosses (objects)

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

label: Restrictions & Rights

content: Wire

content: 24 3/4 × 15 3/4 × 1 in. (62.9 × 40 × 2.5 cm)

content: <I>Wire frame, slanted cross</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, SLANTED CROSS</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, slanted cross</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Copper bouquet holder with ivory handle. The pierced vase is comprised of stamped scrolls and has a petal-like lip. A short length of chain connects a floral pin to the side of the vase. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder. A baluster neck connects the vase to the ivory handle. A second length of chain, which would have connected to a ring is attached to loop around the tip of the handle. The ring would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine at the waist to free the lady's hands while dancing.

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

label: Medium

content: Copper, ivory

label: Dimensions

content: 5 1/2 × 2 in. (14 × 5.1 cm)

label: Style

content: Renaissance Revival

content: <I>Bouquet holder, hexagonal, ivory handle</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, HEXAGONAL, IVORY HANDLE</I>


content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Dating back to early Christianity, the cross was often used as a standard and became the chief emblem of the Christian faith. For the funeral, the cross was suitable for all ages and genders depending on the color and flowers used. Inscriptions for the cross design were meant to both proclaim the faith of the deceased and provide comfort for the bereaved, such as “We Look Beyond the Cross,” “No Cross, No Crown,” and “Simply to Thy Cross I Cling.” These phrases often evoked the comfort of popular hymns and were reminders to have faith, hope, and trust in the Lord. Cross arrangements were also popular for church holidays and other special occasions. From the late nineteenth century to 1950, Easter was the single biggest holiday for floral designs, especially the cross set piece. A cross of callas or Easter lilies became an essential decoration for the church, as well as many homes and shop windows for the holiday, a custom which is still followed today.

content: crosses (objects)

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 72 1/2 × 26 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (184.2 × 67.3 × 3.8 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Crosses (objects)
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems

content: <I>Wire frame, casket cross, large</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, CASKET CROSS, LARGE</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, casket cross, large</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilded metal and mirrored bouquet holder with mother of pearl handle. The openwork vase is three sided. One side features an oval mirror, sometimes called a flirting mirror, which allowed the lady to check her face or spy on what was happening behind her. The other two panels feature large grape leaves in the center. A pin on a chain is attached to the vase. It would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of the bouquet to secure it in the holder. The neck, which attaches the vase to the handle, is a smooth band. The spindle handle is made from a luminescent mother of pearl. It has been turned, creating rings and bands as it tapers to a point. Mother of pearl handles retained a cool feeling longer than some other materials; because of this, they were said to be appropriate for warmer months. The shaft is carved with graduated rings around the stem. A chain and ring is attached to a band around the handle. This feature allows the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine at the waist to free the lady's hands while dancing.

label: Label Text

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: mirrors

content: mother of pearl

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Gilded metal, mirror, mother of pearl.

content: Rococo Revival

topic:
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Mother of pearl
Mirrors

label: Title

content: <I>Bouquet holder, mirrored, mother of pearl handle</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, MIRRORED, MOTHER OF PEARL HANDLE</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilded brass bouquet holder with carved mother of pearl handle. The vase is formed by an elaborate collection of arches at top followed downward by shells, flowers, palmettes, and curves stamped in four repeats. The flowers are embellished with a six-dot surface texture. The neck band has a similar texture and is formed into four petals by a single sheet of gilt brass. Attached to the neck is a round-link chain ending in a small ring encircling the handle. The handle is mother of pearl which flattens out at the base and is carved in the shape of a flower with its leaves. Mother of pearl handles retained a cool feeling longer than some other materials; because of this, they were said to be appropriate for warmer months.

label: Origin

content: Birmingham, England, possibly

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: mother of pearl

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Exhibition

content: Floral Fashions: From Bouquets to Buttonholes

label: On View

content: Smithsonian Institution, Quadrangle, S. Dillon Ripley Center

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Gilded brass, mother of pearl

content: 5 × 1 1/4 in. (12.7 × 3.2 cm)

content: Rococo Revival

topic:
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Mother of pearl

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, flower motif, mother of pearl</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, FLOWER MOTIF, MOTHER OF PEARL</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

label: Screen Image


label: Date

content: ca. 1860-1940

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: It was common for social or business organizations to send flowers to the funerals of deceased members in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Flowers were sent by friendly and fraternal societies, temperance leagues, social clubs, veteran’s organization, and worker’s unions, among others. The floral tributes were often set pieces patterned after the emblem of the organization or club with flowers and ribbons in their colors. Designs had to be recognizable, thus accuracy was important for the florist, each flower frame must be made to an exact shape and carefully arranged with flowers in the appropriate colors. Depending on the size of the floral recreation, elements might be added or subtracted while maintaining an accurate overall impression of the emblem. In addition to the organization’s emblem recreated on flower frames, many of their other symbols, or assemblages of multiple symbols were recreated out of wire frames for floral arrangements. Emblem set pieces were also used for organizational functions other than just funerals, such as private ceremonies or special events sponsored by the group. Organizational emblem frames often comprised a significant portion of floral frame trade catalogs. Freemason emblems were the most frequently ordered flower frame designs from the florist. Freemasonry is the oldest and most influential fraternal society in the United States. Also known as the Masons, this society came to the United States in 1720, and many of America’s founding fathers were brothers in this fraternity. The mid-nineteenth-century Mason could also belong to many different auxiliary organizations such as the Knights Templars, the Shriners, and the Order of the Eastern Star each of which had flower frames representing their insignia. It was also the largest fraternal body in America and remains so to this day. The Maltese Cross, often with a cross and crown in the center was a popular Masonic flower frame design for funerals and ceremonies. The cross was usually made of red geraniums, carnations, or roses. Additional designs for the Masonic ceremonies and funerals included the Masonic emblem, Keystone, Masonic Bible, banner, and scroll of honor.

content: Set pieces or set designs were among the most popular floral arrangements in the second half of the nineteenth century. The term set piece is a usually applied to designs in a wide variety of forms, which are often symbolic in character. Shapes that expressed an overall theme for an occasion were very fashionable, such as designs made to depict the profession, associations, or hobbies of an individual. These flower arrangements were ordered for special celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Typical of the Victorian style, these designs were elaborate and massive, but unlike other forms of flower arrangement, the set piece was exclusively made by the professional florist.

content: Set pieces were usually made up on wire frames in the desired shape, which acted as a foundation for the floral arrangement. Commercially produced, heavy-gaged wire frames, fabricated from either plain or copper-plated wire, became available for flower arrangements between 1860 and 1864. The retail florist business was enhanced considerably by the high demand for arrangements on flower frames in the nineteenth century, and wire frames quickly became the basis of the retail florist’s inventory. The frames could be obtained for little cost to the florist, and if he managed to retrieve the skeleton after the occasion, it could be reused. Wire frames came in both straight and curved outlines and either as a box (three-dimensional frame) or flat frame. Most designs came in several sizes and could be hung or placed on a stand or were free-standing. Standard forms in wire works catalogues ranged in size from 10 to 60 inches. Outside of the standard frame designs offered in wireworks and florist’s supplies catalogues, designs could be made for almost any occasion, with some large enough to make life-sized reproductions.

content: Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century floral fashions changed. Some set pieces faded in popularity by the early 1900s, but some remained favorites well into the 1940’s. Many of these same designs are still used today, but the wire frames have been replaced by shapes made from more modern materials to save the florists’ time in making up the arrangement, as well as providing water to the flowers allowing for greater longevity.

content: crosses (objects)

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

label: Restrictions & Rights

content: Wire

content: 17 1/2 × 17 1/2 × 1 in. (44.5 × 44.5 × 2.5 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Crosses (objects)
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Secret societies
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems

content: <I>Wire frame, Maltese cross</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, MALTESE CROSS</I>

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Wire frame, Maltese cross</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Designer

content: Henry Jenkins and Sons

content: Silver holder with fox, grapes, and basket motif with a spindle handle. The funnel-shaped vase of the holder is created of two stamped repeats of the pattern, which features a fox perched on volute forms. The howling fox appears in front of vase in a basket-weave pattern with grapes on the vine encircling the lip of the vase. The base of the vase is stamped with wild foliate motifs attaching to the handle. A short length of chain connecting to floral pin attaches to the meeting point of the vase and handle. This pin would be inserted through a hole in the vase, piercing the stems of a bouquet, and securing them inside. The handle is hexagonal with panels stamped with a column of foliate motifs facing in alternating directions. A large-ball finial completes the design. This vase design matches the English metalwork registration No. 258692, Dec. 14, 1871, Henry Jenkins & Sons, "Ornamental Design to be repeated and continued for Baskets & etc."

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular, almost mandatory, fashion accessory in the nineteenth century. Small bouquets, called nosegays, posies, or tussie mussies were carried by debutantes, matrons, and girls, and they were a popular gift in the mid to late 1800s among friends and suitors. They were typically created in concentric rings of flowers, tightly wound together, and were often tied with ribbon or placed in a bouquet holder depending on the tastes and fashions. By the 1830s carrying small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets’, and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Queen Victoria helped popularize the bouquet holder, and she is seen holding one in her portrait “Queen Victoria at the Drury Lane Theatre, November 1837” painted by E.T. Parris. When the fashion of carrying hand bouquets in decorative holders caught the fancy of the wealthy and middle class, holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

content: Birmingham, England, possibly

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of Frances Jones Poetker.

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: Bouquet holders

label: Medium

content: Silver

label: Dimensions

content: 6 1/4 × 1 1/2 in. (15.9 × 3.8 cm)

label: Style

content: Naturalism

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, fox and basket weave motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, FOX AND BASKET WEAVE MOTIF</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilt metal bouquet holder with cone shape. The curvaceous holder was cast with Rococo Revival and floral decorations. A hook attached to the top of the vase allowed the holder to be attached to garments.

label: Label Text

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular fashion accessory throughout the 1800s up to the mid-1900s. Carrying or wearing fresh flowers was an important aspect of not only fashion but of good breeding and refined tastes. Corsages worn by women and boutonnieres worn by men were essential elements of dress for the tasteful upper- and middle-class Americans and Europeans at social functions. Many wore flowers whenever they were in public, including President McKinley, who wore a carnation in his lapel every day. In 1840, Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV of the Great Britain and Hanover, introduced the fashion of tucking a small posy into a high waistband or sash, and Queen Victoria popularized the bouquet holder as seen in her portrait at the opera painted by E.T. Parris in 1838. By the 1830s carrying and wearing small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets,’ and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Some had a pin or clip attachment that allowed it to be worn on the clothing. These bouquet holders were usually light weight, so not to strain the garment. Similar holders were made for men to attach to their lapels and are often referred to as a boutonniere vase. Bouquet holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

label: Mark(s)

content: "STERLING"

label: Origin

content: United States, possibly

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

content: 5 1/2 × 1 1/4 in. (14 × 3.2 cm)

content: Rococo Revival

content: United States

label: Title

content: <I>Bouquet holder, flower and shell motif, hook attachment</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, FLOWER AND SHELL MOTIF, HOOK ATTACHMENT</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1860-1940

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: It was common for social or business organizations to send flowers to the funerals of deceased members in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Flowers were sent by friendly and fraternal societies, temperance leagues, social clubs, veteran’s organization, and worker’s unions, among others. The floral tributes were often set pieces patterned after the emblem of the organization or club with flowers and ribbons in their colors. Designs had to be recognizable, thus accuracy was important for the florist, each flower frame must be made to an exact shape and carefully arranged with flowers in the appropriate colors. Depending on the size of the floral recreation, elements might be added or subtracted while maintaining an accurate overall impression of the emblem. In addition to the organization’s emblem recreated on flower frames, many of their other symbols, or assemblages of multiple symbols were recreated out of wire frames for floral arrangements. Emblem set pieces were also used for organizational functions other than just funerals, such as private ceremonies or special events sponsored by the group. Organizational emblem frames often comprised a significant portion of floral frame trade catalogs. The Fraternal Order of the Eagles (FOE) was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1898. The society was originally named “The Order of Good Things.” Their emblem is the Eagle and their meeting places are called the Aerie. The eagle flower frame was also used for patriotic floral displays. Flower frame designs of national symbols and emblems of the military branch of the fallen celebrated their patriotism at the funerals of active military and veterans. Often flowers the same color as the American flag were employed in arrangements, such as roses, carnations, and cornflowers to create that patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme. Nationally symbolic designs such as American flags, eagles, and many other designs were also displayed in shop windows and at ceremonies for holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day. These designs remained popular into the twentieth century.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: armed forces

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 25 × 18 × 1 in. (63.5 × 45.7 × 2.5 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Secret societies
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Holidays
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems
Military

content: <I>Wire frame, eagle, large</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, EAGLE, LARGE</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

label: Screen Image

title: <I>Wire frame, eagle, large</I>


content: ca. 1913-1914

content: Art Deco (ca. 1908-1935)

content: Sterling silver cone shaped auto vase. The vase is unadorned with a polished surface and is capped with a silver ball. There is a slight lip around the rim of the vase and inside there are two curved holders for a ribbon, which would allow it to be hung inside a car. There is a mesh screen over the opening of the vase that would have secured the flowers within during a jostling outing on the bumpy roads of the early twentieth century.

content: Country of Origin: Lion passant (England)

content: City/Region of Origin: Anchor (Birmingham)

content: Date letter: O within a shield? (1913-1914)

content: Makers Mark: A&LL

content: Birmingham, England

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: vases

content: automobiles

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Vases

content: Vases-Auto vases

label: Restrictions & Rights

content: Silver

content: 5 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (14 × 3.8 cm)

content: Art Deco

topic:
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Fashion
Automobiles
Silver
Decoration and ornament
Victoriana
Posy holders
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Vases

content: Birmingham

content: England

object_type:
Bouquet holders
Vases-Auto vases
Vases

content: <I>Auto vase, cone</I>

title_sort: <I>AUTO VASE, CONE</I>

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Auto vase, cone</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver filigree bouquet holder with tripod base. The funnel-shaped vase is comprised of delicate filigree within vertical and horizontal sections. The rim of the vase is slanted and has dangling loops of silver wire with eleven silver orbs applied around the exterior. The handle of the bouquet holder also serves as a tripod stand. This would allow the bouquet holder to act as a free-standing table or mantle ornament. Three curved panels spring out, each with a substantial foot at the end to add stability. The when the legs were secured together, they acted as a straight, stem handle for the bouquet holder.

label: Label Text

content: Birmingham, England, possibly

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: filigree

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: Bouquet holders

label: Medium

content: Silver

label: Dimensions

content: 6 × 2 in. (15.2 × 5.1 cm)

topic:
Silver
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Filigree

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, filigree, tripod</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, FILIGREE, TRIPOD</I>

title: <I>Bouquet holder, filigree, tripod</I>


content: ca. 1879-1962

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Some of the most popular designs in funeral flowers in the late nineteenth century were those that appealed to the sentimentality of the period. These flower frame designs were both more decorative and more personal in their references. Sentimental designs alluded to lives cut short and the loss of cherished relationships. The Broken Column was one of the most popular and poignant symbols in floral designs and mourning iconography in the nineteenth century and was also seen in the cemetery, in mourning art, and in sentimental literature. It was symbolic of the end of life, and more specifically the unfinished work and frustrated hopes brought by a life cut short. It could be used in the funeral of a proactive figure in society to emblemize their deeds that must now go undone. It was also commonly seen at the funerals of young persons to express the frustrated hopes and broken dreams that bereaved parents felt over the loss of a child. The idea of dashed expectations by a life cut off was essential to the theme of the Broken Column. It usually ranged in height from two to six feet, and a common inscription for this design, as well as for the broken wheel, was “Broken Hopes.” As an unbroken column, the set piece had different connotations. It was used as a tribute to the lives of prominent members of the community because columns, or pillars, in architecture are essential to the structure as supporting elements and ensure the stability and strength of the whole. Therefore, it was appropriate for the pillars society to be remembered with a pillar in a flower frame. Whether broken or intact, the visual impact of this design contributed to its popularity.

content: Set pieces or set designs were among the most popular floral arrangements in the second half of the nineteenth century. The term set piece is a usually applied to designs in a wide variety of forms, which are often symbolic in character. Shapes that expressed an overall theme for an occasion were very fashionable, such as designs made to depict the profession, associations, or hobbies of an individual. These flower arrangements were ordered for special celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Typical of the Victorian style, these designs were elaborate and massive, but unlike other forms of flower arrangement, the set piece was exclusively made by the professional florist.

content: Set pieces were usually made up on wire frames in the desired shape, which acted as a foundation for the floral arrangement. Commercially produced, heavy-gaged wire frames, fabricated from either plain or copper-plated wire, became available for flower arrangements between 1860 and 1864. The retail florist business was enhanced considerably by the high demand for arrangements on flower frames in the nineteenth century, and wire frames quickly became the basis of the retail florist’s inventory. The frames could be obtained for little cost to the florist, and if he managed to retrieve the skeleton after the occasion, it could be reused. Wire frames came in both straight and curved outlines and either as a box (three-dimensional frame) or flat frame. Most designs came in several sizes and could be hung or placed on a stand or were free-standing. Standard forms in wire works catalogues ranged in size from 10 to 60 inches. Outside of the standard frame designs offered in wireworks and florist’s supplies catalogues, designs could be made for almost any occasion, with some large enough to make life-sized reproductions.

label: Topic

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: columns (architectural elements)

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of H. Weber & Sons Company.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Type

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 22 × 8 × 8 in. (55.9 × 20.3 × 20.3 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Columns (architectural elements)
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems

content: <I>Wire frame, broken column</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, BROKEN COLUMN</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, broken column</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1879-1962

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: The Cross was one of the most frequently used floral frames in the nineteenth century, and it continues to be used today. Crosses could be large or small, and were free-standing, placed on a stand or placed on top of the coffin. Crosses were also commonly combined with other floral frames, such as a crown or star. This set design was popular for religious celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Dating back to early Christianity, the cross was often used as a standard and became the chief emblem of the Christian faith. For the funeral, the cross was suitable for all ages and genders depending on the color and flowers used. Inscriptions for the cross design were meant to both proclaim the faith of the deceased and provide comfort for the bereaved, such as “We Look Beyond the Cross,” “No Cross, No Crown,” and “Simply to Thy Cross I Cling.” These phrases often evoked the comfort of popular hymns and were reminders to have faith, hope, and trust in the Lord. Cross arrangements were also popular for church holidays and other special occasions. From the late nineteenth century to 1950, Easter was the single biggest holiday for floral designs, especially the cross set piece. A cross of callas or Easter lilies became an essential decoration for the church, as well as many homes and shop windows for the holiday, a custom which is still followed today.

content: Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century floral fashions changed. Some set pieces faded in popularity by the early 1900s, but some remained favorites well into the 1940’s. Many of these same designs are still used today, but the wire frames have been replaced by shapes made from more modern materials to save the florists’ time in making up the arrangement, as well as providing water to the flowers allowing for greater longevity.

content: crosses (objects)

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 23 × 8 × 7 in. (58.4 × 20.3 × 17.8 cm)

label: Title

content: <I>Wire frame, cross on stand</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, CROSS ON STAND</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, cross on stand</I>


label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Silver and copper bouquet holder with bone handle. The tulip-shaped vase is comprised of cup-like with fluting and a flared rim. The handle is made of pierce carved bone with Egyptian inspired designs.

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular, almost mandatory, fashion accessory in the nineteenth century. Small bouquets, called nosegays, posies, or tussie mussies were carried by debutantes, matrons, and girls, and they were a popular gift in the mid to late 1800s among friends and suitors. They were typically created in concentric rings of flowers, tightly wound together, and were often tied with ribbon or placed in a bouquet holder depending on the tastes and fashions. By the 1830s carrying small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets’, and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Queen Victoria helped popularize the bouquet holder, and she is seen holding one in her portrait “Queen Victoria at the Drury Lane Theatre, November 1837” painted by E.T. Parris. When the fashion of carrying hand bouquets in decorative holders caught the fancy of the wealthy and middle class, holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

content: bone

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: copper

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of Frances Jones Poetker.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver, copper, bone

content: 4 1/4 × 1 3/4 in. (10.8 × 4.4 cm)

topic:
Silver
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Bone

object_type:
Bouquet holders
Copper (metal)

content: <I>Bouquet holder, pierced bone handle</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, PIERCED BONE HANDLE</I>


content: ca. 1830-1920

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver funnel-type bouquet holder with looped handle. Vase is comprised of hand-engraved, machine-cut sheets of silver with floral decorations and Rococo Revival curvilinear shapes. One of the five-petaled flowers near the top has a hole in its center through which a pin would be inserted, piercing the stems of a posy to keep it secure. The unadorned loop handle ends in flower plaquette. A chain ending in a plain finger ring is attached to the handle. This feature would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine at the waist to free the lady's hands while dancing.

label: Origin

content: Great Britain, possibly

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

content: 5 13/16 × 1 1/8 in. (14.8 × 2.9 cm)

label: Style

content: Rococo Revival

topic:
Silver
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets

content: Great Britain

content: <I>Bouquet holder, engraved flowers</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, ENGRAVED FLOWERS</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

title: <I>Bouquet holder, engraved flowers</I>


content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: It was common for social or business organizations to send flowers to the funerals of deceased members in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Flowers were sent by friendly and fraternal societies, temperance leagues, social clubs, veteran’s organization, and worker’s unions, among others. The floral tributes were often set pieces patterned after the emblem of the organization or club with flowers and ribbons in their colors. Designs had to be recognizable, thus accuracy was important for the florist, each flower frame must be made to an exact shape and carefully arranged with flowers in the appropriate colors. Depending on the size of the floral recreation, elements might be added or subtracted while maintaining an accurate overall impression of the emblem. In addition to the organization’s emblem recreated on flower frames, many of their other symbols, or assemblages of multiple symbols were recreated out of wire frames for floral arrangements. Emblem set pieces were also used for organizational functions other than just funerals, such as private ceremonies or special events sponsored by the group. Organizational emblem frames often comprised a significant portion of floral frame trade catalogs. The Rotary Club was founded as an American fraternal service club in Chicago, Illinois in 1905. In 1912, it changed its name to the International Association of Rotary Clubs to reflect its members outside of the United States. The club’s emblem is a rotary wheel which is intended to reflect a working gearwheel with six spokes and twenty-four cogs.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Secret societies
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems

content: <I>Wire frame, Rotary International emblem</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, ROTARY INTERNATIONAL EMBLEM</I>

label: Screen Image


content: ca. 1869-1870

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver gilt bouquet holder with tripod legs and case. The cone-shaped vase extends the length of the bouquet holder and acts as one of its supports. The rim is beaded with a skirt with turquoise stones set in beaded brackets and garlands of chains hanging from the points in the skirt. The surface of the vase is engraved with decorative motifs and a ring of turquois stones. Three spring mechanized legs connected by a chain extend from the middle of the vase, this would allow the bouquet holder to act as a free-standing table ornament or mantel piece. When closed the bouquet holder could be carried in hand. The original leather and velvet, London jeweler's case bears inscription and name on the satin lining.

label: Label Text

label: Mark(s)

content: Country of Origin: Lion passant (England)

content: City/Region of Origin: Leopard's head (London)

content: Date letter: 0

content: Makers Mark: AM

content: Duty Mark: Queen Victoria in profile

content: London, England

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: FJP.1987.158.a, b

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

content: Silver

content: 4 3/4 × 1 3/4 in. (12.1 × 4.4 cm)

content: Aesthetic Movement

place: London England

content: London

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, beads, tripod, with case</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, BEADS, TRIPOD, WITH CASE</I>

label: Thumbnail Image


label: Date

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Bouquet holder made of gilded metal and ivory that has been dyed red. The vase is formed by cartouches surrounded by S and C scrolls as well as palmettes. Red ivory roses stem from the vase on spiraled metal stalks. The base is engraved with curvilinear detailing. The forms and engraved work of the vase shows the skilled craftsmanship of the maker. A pin attached to the base would be inserted through the vase, thus piercing the flowers and securing them in the holder. The spindle handle of the bouquet holder is cylindrical with swelling and deflated portions. It is dyed red, unifying the holder with the red flowers on the vase. A ring on a chain is clasped around the base of the holder so that it could be worn about the finger or hung from a chatelaine about the waist.

content: France, possibly

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: gilding

content: ivory

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Exhibition

content: Floral Fashions: From Bouquets to Buttonholes

label: On View

content: Smithsonian Institution, Quadrangle, S. Dillon Ripley Center

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

label: Medium

content: Gilded metal, ivory

label: Dimensions

content: 5 × 1 1/4 in. (12.7 × 3.2 cm)

content: Rococo Revival

topic:
Gilding
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Victoriana
Ivory
Posy holders
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets

content: France

content: <I>Bouquet holder, red ivory handle and flowers</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, RED IVORY HANDLE AND FLOWERS</I>


label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Silver (?) bouquet holder pin. The conical vase is formed by a metal sheet stamped with a basket-weave design and has a scalloped lip. A stylized flower is applied to the center of the vase. This is a replica of the famous Edelweiss flower. On the back of the vase is a pin, which would allow it to be worn attached to the garment. Two round holes are present at top above flower and to either side for a floral pin. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder.

content: Flowers used for personal adornment were a popular fashion accessory throughout the 1800s up to the mid-1900s. Carrying or wearing fresh flowers was an important aspect of not only fashion but of good breeding and refined tastes. Corsages worn by women and boutonnieres worn by men were essential elements of dress for the tasteful upper- and middle-class Americans and Europeans at social functions. Many wore flowers whenever they were in public, including President McKinley, who wore a carnation in his lapel every day. In 1840, Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV of the Great Britain and Hanover, introduced the fashion of tucking a small posy into a high waistband or sash, and Queen Victoria popularized the bouquet holder as seen in her portrait at the opera painted by E.T. Parris in 1838. By the 1830s carrying and wearing small bouquets of flowers in decorative holders was an established fashion accessory of the upper class and royalty of Europe. These small accessories, also known as posy holders, ‘porte-bouquets,’ and ‘bouquetiers’ were both decorative as well as useful. By providing a water source in the bottom of the receptacle, they were able to keep the flowers fresh throughout an occasion, and they also protected the wearer’s gloves or clothing from being stained by the plant pigments. Some had a pin or clip attachment that allowed it to be worn on the clothing. These bouquet holders were usually light weight, so not to strain the garment. Similar holders were made for men to attach to their lapels and are often referred to as a boutonniere vase. Bouquet holders were copied and mass produced in a variety of sizes, materials, and embellishments. During the second half of the nineteenth century, holders might be commissioned or purchased from the stock at a jeweler or florist shop. Few were made in the United States, instead they were usually imported from Europe and Asia. They were often given as a commemorative memento of historic encounters or events by the royalty and courts of Europe, but they were also used to celebrate and commemorate important, though less prestigious, events of the wealthy and middle class. Bouquet holders reached the peak of their popularity between the 1830s and 1880s, but it began to dwindle as bouquets of long-stemmed flowers (the latest horticultural development) loosely tied with ribbons surpassed the posy bouquet style. They were not totally out of fashion until the “Roaring Twenties,” when such objects became regarded as trivial and useless. The diversity of styles and mechanisms of bouquet holders is evidence of their longevity as a fashion accessory.

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: brooches

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: tussie-mussies

content: costume accessories

content: decorative arts

content: fashion

content: jewelry

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver (?)

content: 1 5/8 × 1/2 in. (4.1 × 1.3 cm)

label: Style

content: Aesthetic Movement

topic:
Tussie-mussies
Porte-fleurs
Decoration and ornament
Bouquet holders
Costume accessories
Fashion
Bouquetiers
Porte-bouquets
Jewelry
Brooches

label: Title

content: <I>Bouquet holder, pin, flower and basket motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, PIN, FLOWER AND BASKET MOTIF</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG


content: ca. 1894-1958

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: The Gates Ajar or Gates of Heaven set piece was an especially elaborate design and very popular in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It generally ranged from two to four feet high with either pointed or rounded arches over a pair of gates. A taxidermy dove, or less commonly a star, was often placed surmounting the arch. This design was used for the funerals of both men and women. This set piece was meant to portray the entrance to the heavenly realm, and the gates were usually left open to indicate the recent departure of the spirit into heaven. Open gates also implied that the connection with those who had passed was not completely severed, and nothing stood in the way of an eventual reunion in heaven. In nineteenth-century mourning culture, symbols of departure were commonly seen such as a finger pointing heavenward, the hand of God pulling a link from the family chain, hands clasped, and Heaven's open gates. A variation of this design, the Golden Way, incorporated a pathway in the foreground. Inscriptions were frequently included on the platform base of Gates Ajar designs such as "Gone Home.”

label: Label Text

content: Set pieces or set designs were among the most popular floral arrangements in the second half of the nineteenth century. The term set piece is a usually applied to designs in a wide variety of forms, which are often symbolic in character. Shapes that expressed an overall theme for an occasion were very fashionable, such as designs made to depict the profession, associations, or hobbies of an individual. These flower arrangements were ordered for special celebrations, holidays, weddings, and funerals. Typical of the Victorian style, these designs were elaborate and massive, but unlike other forms of flower arrangement, the set piece was exclusively made by the professional florist.

content: Set pieces were usually made up on wire frames in the desired shape, which acted as a foundation for the floral arrangement. Commercially produced, heavy-gaged wire frames, fabricated from either plain or copper-plated wire, became available for flower arrangements between 1860 and 1864. The retail florist business was enhanced considerably by the high demand for arrangements on flower frames in the nineteenth century, and wire frames quickly became the basis of the retail florist’s inventory. The frames could be obtained for little cost to the florist, and if he managed to retrieve the skeleton after the occasion, it could be reused. Wire frames came in both straight and curved outlines and either as a box (three-dimensional frame) or flat frame. Most designs came in several sizes and could be hung or placed on a stand or were free-standing. Standard forms in wire works catalogues ranged in size from 10 to 60 inches. Outside of the standard frame designs offered in wireworks and florist’s supplies catalogues, designs could be made for almost any occasion, with some large enough to make life-sized reproductions.

content: Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century floral fashions changed. Some set pieces faded in popularity by the early 1900s, but some remained favorites well into the 1940’s. Many of these same designs are still used today, but the wire frames have been replaced by shapes made from more modern materials to save the florists’ time in making up the arrangement, as well as providing water to the flowers allowing for greater longevity.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: gates

content: heaven

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 30 1/2 × 18 1/2 × 9 in. (77.5 × 47 × 22.9 cm)

topic:
Heaven
Funerary objects
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Weddings
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Funeral rites and ceremonies
Flower arrangement
Emblems
Gates

content: <I>Wire frame, gates ajar</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, GATES AJAR</I>

label: Screen Image

title: <I>Wire frame, gates ajar</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Wire frame trellis in the shape of a morning glory blossom pained white. The trellis has two wire legs, which could be inserted into the soil to keep it upright. It is formed by vertical wire supports up the body of the blossom with additional wires in the shapes of leaves around the base. The opening of the flower at the top is oblong and scalloped.

content: A trellis is an open framework or latticed structure made of interwoven wood, bamboo, or metal for the cultivation and display of climbing plants and shrubs. There are many types of trellis suited to different plants, locations, and purposes, from agricultural pursuits such as growing grapes, to purely decorative garden features for growing plants such as ivy or climbing roses. Trellises can be free standing or attached and are made in a variety of forms including cones, spheres, fans, tree forms, geometric shapes, arches, turrets, and railings. Most commonly they are made in a lozenge type lattice pattern; however, various shapes and combinations are also made. Trellises have long been used in the garden to create internal barriers, structures, shaded areas of secluded spots. They were place against buildings or fences to create the illusion of walls made of vegetation.

content: Trellises have been used in the garden as far back as ancient Roman times and were a popular feature of the Victorian garden. In the Victorian era, roses, ivy, passionflowers, morning glory, grapevines, and shrubs in espalier were popular trellis subjects. When attached gallery facades and columns of structures they were decorative features that appealed to the Victorian love of nature, however they could also be useful. In the days before air conditioning, placing a trellis over a window was a popular way to gain privacy when the window was open while allowing the air to flow through the room. Furthermore, when the sun shone through the backs of the leaves it revealed their veins and structure which appealed to the Victorian’s rapt interest in the horticultural sciences and botany. Trellises were also used indoors to train vines to grow around the curves of the window and brought the outdoors inside.

label: Topic

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: trellises

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: gardening

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: Floral frames

content: Trellis

label: Restrictions & Rights

content: Wire

content: 26 × 12 1/2 in. (66 × 31.8 cm)

topic:
Trellises
Frame components
Floral designers
Floral decorations
Floral frames
Wire
Associations
Floral Accessories
Rites and ceremonies
Decorations
Wirework
Flower arrangement
Gardening

content: <I>Wire frame, morning glory</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, MORNING GLORY</I>

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Wire frame, morning glory</I>


content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: It was common for social or business organizations to send flowers to the funerals of deceased members in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Flowers were sent by friendly and fraternal societies, temperance leagues, social clubs, veteran’s organization, and worker’s unions, among others. The floral tributes were often set pieces patterned after the emblem of the organization or club with flowers and ribbons in their colors. Designs had to be recognizable, thus accuracy was important for the florist, each flower frame must be made to an exact shape and carefully arranged with flowers in the appropriate colors. Depending on the size of the floral recreation, elements might be added or subtracted while maintaining an accurate overall impression of the emblem. In addition to the organization’s emblem recreated on flower frames, many of their other symbols, or assemblages of multiple symbols were recreated out of wire frames for floral arrangements. Emblem set pieces were also used for organizational functions other than just funerals, such as private ceremonies or special events sponsored by the group. Organizational emblem frames often comprised a significant portion of floral frame trade catalogs. The Fraternal Order of the Eagles (FOE) was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1898. The society was originally named “The Order of Good Things.” Their emblem is the Eagle and their meeting places are called the Aerie. The eagle flower frame was also used for patriotic floral displays. Flower frame designs of national symbols and emblems of the military branch of the fallen celebrated their patriotism at the funerals of active military and veterans. Often flowers the same color as the American flag were employed in arrangements, such as roses, carnations, and cornflowers to create that patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme. Nationally symbolic designs such as American flags, eagles, and many other designs were also displayed in shop windows and at ceremonies for holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day. These designs remained popular into the twentieth century.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: armed forces

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Type

content: Floral frames

label: Medium

content: Wire

label: Dimensions

content: 19 × 15 × 1 1/2 in. (48.3 × 38.1 × 3.8 cm)

content: <I>Wire frame, eagle, small</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, EAGLE, SMALL</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, eagle, small</I>