label: Date

content: ca. 1879-1962

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Frame designs which honored the professional life of the deceased were a popular option for the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century funeral. Vehicles, tools, and products were recreated in flowers to celebrate a loved one’s life’s work. These designs were some of the largest and most innovative designs made in flower frames. Civil servants and government officials often received floral tributes on behalf of their city at their funerals. Designs in flowers were often sent to fallen police officers by city officials, thankful citizens, as well as fellow police officer, and their funerals were often flooded with floral arrangements. Several designs were made as tribute to the police officers, such as floral replicas of badges, city and state seals, and items or tools specific to their work.

label: Label Text

label: Topic

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: armed forces

content: associations

content: badges

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: policemen

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

label: Dimensions

content: 12 1/2 × 11 × 1 in. (31.8 × 27.9 × 2.5 cm)

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

content: <I>Wire frame, policeman's badge</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, POLICEMAN'S BADGE</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

label: High-resolution JPEG

title: <I>Wire frame, policeman's badge</I>


unitCode: HAC

type: edanmdm

content: ca. 1870

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Silver-plated copper bouquet holder with funnel shaped opening and straight handle. The vase is comprised of three stamped repeats that have imitation granulation above three partial repeats turned ninety degrees. The openwork design of the vase creates a lacy effect with beading throughout. The straight handle has two stamped repeats of a flattened-leaf design and is capped with a leaf finial. The fragment of a round-link chain is attached near the top of the bouquet holder. The chain likely would have connected to a floral pin used to secure a bouquet in the holder or a ring to be worn on the finger or attached to a chatelaine at the waist in order to free the lady’s hands while dancing.

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: Mark(s)

content: registry diamond dates on upper parts of handle front and back for [April] 11, [1870]

label: Origin

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

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

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Copper, silver plating

content: 6 1/4 × 1 3/4 in. (15.9 × 4.4 cm)

label: Style

content: Rococo 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

type: Country

content: England

label: Title

content: <I>Bouquet holder, beaded openwork</I>

unit_code: HAC

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, BEADED OPENWORK</I>

data_source: Smithsonian Gardens

type: Images

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Bouquet holder, beaded openwork</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1879-1962

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. 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 keystone flower frame given to Ancient Grand Master Freemasons. It usually featured the letters “H-T-W-S-S-T-K-S” arranged in circle, which was an acronym for “Hiram the Widow’s Son Sent to King Solomon. This assemblage is known as the Masonic Mark of an Ancient Grand Master. Additional designs for the Masonic ceremonies and funerals included the Masonic emblem, Maltese cross, Masonic Bible, banner, and scroll of honor.

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.

label: Topic

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. Gift of H. Weber & Sons Company.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

label: Dimensions

content: 17 1/2 × 14 1/4 × 1 in. (44.5 × 36.2 × 2.5 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
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

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

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

label: High-resolution TIFF

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


content: ca. 1860-1940

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: The floral spray became the most popular sympathy tribute in the early twentieth century. These hand-tied bunches of flowers were generally made with a dozen of the same type of flower and finished with a bow. Many florists preferred floral sprays to wire frame designs because they could be made easily, saving time and labor which resulted in greater profit. These designs were sent to the homes of the bereaved or the funeral home. Larger sprays could be placed on the casket and was a less expensive option than floral pall. Sprays could also be used as church decorations for funerals, holidays, weddings, and other special occasions.

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: ceremonies

content: decorations

content: Floral Accessories

content: Floral decorations

content: floral designers

content: Flower arrangement

content: funerals

content: funerary objects

content: holidays

content: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 36 × 9 × 9 in. (91.4 × 22.9 × 22.9 cm)

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

content: <I>Wire frame, spray stand</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, SPRAY STAND</I>

label: High-resolution JPEG

title: <I>Wire frame, spray stand</I>


content: ca. 1879-1962

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.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: triangles (polygons)

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

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 24 × 21 × 1 in. (61 × 53.3 × 2.5 cm)

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

content: <I>Wire frame, triangle, open</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, TRIANGLE, OPEN</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, triangle, open</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver bouquet holder with mother of pearl handle. The funnel-shaped vase has a crown-like appearance with ornate, stamped decorations featuring loops and intertwined designs. The neck, which connects the vase to the handle, is stamped with a textured floral motif. The spindle handle is made from turned mother of pearl with a silver ring around it near the tip. 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: France, possibly

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: mother of pearl

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

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

content: Silver, mother of pearl

content: 4 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (12.1 × 3.8 cm)

content: Renaissance Revival

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

content: France

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

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


content: Art Nouveau (1890-1910)

content: Gilded-silver, gilded-brass, glass, and mother-of-pearl bouquet holder. The vase composed of four panels created by curving and intertwined ropes of gilded brass. Each side of the vase has a plain circular flower of partially gilded silver and would have had a faceted red glass “gem” in the upper center, although only one is present. The neck is comprised of three decorative bands above a ring of eight petals. The middle band has a round-link chain attached to it, which connects to a loop-headed 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. The handle is made from a spindle of mother of pearl with ruddy brown streaks. 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. Near the end of the handle a band connects a second length of chain attached to ring with knurled edges. 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: 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: Medium

content: Gilded silver, gilded brass, glass, mother of pearl

content: 6 × 1 1/4 in. (15.2 × 3.2 cm)

label: Style

content: Art Nouveau

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

label: Title

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

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

label: Screen Image


label: Date

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilded metal bouquet holder with agate stones and mother of pearl handle. The funnel-shaped vase is comprised of four panels each set with two oval agate stones surrounded with with pierced scrolling motifs. A looped clip attached to the middle of the vase allowed the holder to be attached to garments. Two short lengths of chain are attached to the side of the vase. The first attaches to a floral pin, which would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder. The second chain would have terminated in a ring. 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. The stick-stem handle is made from tapered 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.

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.

content: Great Britain, possibly

label: Topic

content: agate

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

content: Silver, gold, agate, mother of pearl

content: 6 × 1 3/4 in. (15.2 × 4.4 cm)

content: Renaissance Revival

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

content: Great Britain

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

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

label: Thumbnail Image


content: ca. 1879-1962

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: The harp was a popular design for funeral flower tributes in the nineteenth century. It could be free standing, hung, placed on a pillow, or within a wreath or crescent. The harp was appropriate for both men and women, the young and the old. Like the lyre flower frame, the harp represented harmony between heaven and earth, and it was a symbol of both peace and musical talent. The harp flower frames were especially popular for young and adult women due to the angelic theme. The Silent Harp design would be given a snapped string to indicate that the harp would play no more to exemplify the loved one silenced by death. The strings could be made from a variety of materials including flowers, wire, and fabric strips such as chenille.

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: harps (chordophones)

content: symbols

content: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

label: Dimensions

content: 19 × 8 × 6 in. (48.3 × 20.3 × 15.2 cm)

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

content: <I>Wire frame, harp on stand, small</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, HARP ON STAND, SMALL</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

title: <I>Wire frame, harp on stand, small</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Nickel silver(?)-plated copper alloy, looped bouquet holder with leaf and berry motif. The vase is designed in an openwork motif of leaves and berries in three stamped repeats. Each leaf has veins extending over a textured surface. This is offset by the smooth surface of the berries and stems. There is a large hole through which a floral pin would be inserted to pierce the stems of the bouquet in order to secure it in the holder. The curved handle is formed from a stamped design of scrolling foliage that flares off the main body. The handle ends in a closed loop the reaches the midpoint of this ornate handle. A ring connected to a short length of chain is attached so the bouquet holder could either be worn on the finger or connected to waist on chatelaine to free the lady's hands while dancing.

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

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Exhibition

content: Floral Fashions: From Bouquets to Buttonholes

label: On View

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

label: Credit Line

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

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Copper alloy, nickle silver (?) plating

content: 6 × 1 3/4 in. (15.2 × 4.4 cm)

content: Naturalism

building: Quadrangle

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, leaf and berry motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, LEAF AND BERRY MOTIF</I>

label: High-resolution JPEG


content: ca. 1879-1962

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 most fanciful fraternal flower frames are those belonging to the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks (BPOE). The emblem of this order is an elk head surmounting a clock set to eleven o’clock. This time is sacred to the Elks, and at this time at any Elks ritual a special toast is read. Floral tributes to fallen Elks could be made in the form of the complete emblem, or the elk head or clock could be sent individually. The time on the clock flower frame is meant to signify the time of death, which the Elks set the hands at 11:00 a.m. because all good Elks die at 11. In its hey-day the Elks members numbered more than 1.5 million members. It is one of the largest “animal clubs”. Patriotism, public service, and caring for Elks fallen on hard times, are central to the mission of the Elks.

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: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

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

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Floral frames

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Wire

content: Height: 30 in. (76.2 cm)

content: Neck: 5 in. (12.7 cm)

content: Antlers: 28 in. (71.1 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

content: <I>Wire frame, Elk's head</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, ELK'S HEAD</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, Elk's head</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: The lyre was a popular design for funeral flower tributes in the nineteenth century. It could be free standing, hung, placed on a pillow, or combined with another frame such as a wreath or crescent. The lyre was appropriate for both men and women, the young and the old. The Greek lyre was a symbol of music in classical times and one of Apollo’s attributes. Representing harmony between heaven and earth, the lyre was a symbol of both peace and musical talent. The lyre often will have a broken string to symbolize a life that has been cut short. The strings could be made from a variety of materials including flowers, wire, and fabric strips such as chenille.

label: Label Text

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: lyres

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

content: Wire

content: 14 1/2 × 9 1/2 × 1 in. (36.8 × 24.1 × 2.5 cm)

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

label: Title

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

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

label: Screen Image

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


label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Silver bouquet holder with short, curved handle. The funnel-shaped vase is comprised of pierced flowers and leaves with textured surfaces. At the base of the vase, two short lengths of chain are attached to the side of the vase. The first attaches to a floral pin, which would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder. The second chain has a filigree sphere-shaped charm hanging from it and terminates in a ring. 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. The handle of the holder is short with scroll termination.

label: Origin

content: Birmingham, England, 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

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

label: Style

content: Naturalism

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

content: Birmingham

content: England

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

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

label: Thumbnail Image


content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: 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. The cross and crown was a popular combination for flower frames in Christian funerals. This mourning iconography was meant to remind the survivors that after the trials and tribulation of life (the cross), the Christian dead would be rewarded in heaven (the crown). When combined with the cross, the crown also implied the sovereignty of the Lord and His power and authority. This symbol was also used to denote a member of the York Rite Masons.

content: emblems (symbols)

content: Floral frames

content: frame components

content: wire

content: associations

content: ceremonies

content: crosses (objects)

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: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire, moss

label: Dimensions

content: 20 1/2 × 20 1/2 × 15 in. (52.1 × 52.1 × 38.1 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
Crowns (costume components)
Emblems
Crowns (headdresses)

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

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

label: High-resolution TIFF


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Shiny white metal (possibly nickel silver?)-plated copper bouquet holder with botanical forms and loop handle. The vase is comprised of the overlapping cherries, blossoms, and leaves of a cherry tree stamped in three repeats. Connecting to a trunk near the bottom of the vase are two short lengths of round-link chains. The first chain connects a floral pin that would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure them inside the holder. The second chain attaches a smooth wire ring that 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. The handle of the holder was stamped with two repeats with floral decoration. The bottom of the handle loops up creating a ring at the end of the handle.

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: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

content: Copper, nickel silver (?)

content: 5 3/16 × 1 3/4 in. (13.2 × 4.4 cm)

content: Naturalism

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, cherries and blossoms motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, CHERRIES AND BLOSSOMS MOTIF</I>

label: High-resolution JPEG


label: Date

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.

label: Label Text

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

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Wire

content: 18 × 15 3/4 × 1 in. (45.7 × 40 × 2.5 cm)

content: <I>Wire frame, triangle, solid</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, TRIANGLE, SOLID</I>

title: <I>Wire frame, triangle, solid</I>


label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Multiple metals bouquet holder with straight 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 overlaying a bass liner. Both the scrolls and Greek key designs have applied 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, which likely would have connected to the broken length of chain attached to the base of the vase. This pin would be used to pierce the stems of the bouquet to secure the flowers in the holder. The handle is straight and decorated with beads and foliate motifs.

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, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of Frances Jones Poetker.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Brass

content: 6 × 1 1/2 in. (15.2 × 3.8 cm)

content: Renaissance Revival

content: Birmingham

content: England

label: Title

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

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

label: Screen Image

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


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Small pewter bouquet holder pin. The vase is urn shaped with beads around neck. The back is flat with pin for attachment a garment.

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: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: pewter

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: Pewter

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

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

content: <I>Bouquet older, vase-shaped, pin</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET OLDER, VASE-SHAPED, PIN</I>

label: Thumbnail Image

title: <I>Bouquet older, vase-shaped, pin</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver bouquet holder with funnel vase and loop handle. The vase is formed with three layers. Each layer has oak leaves connected by balls and is separated by bands decorated with dots. There are five leaves in each layer which get progressively smaller as the vase tapers toward the base. At the center of one of the leaves on the top row is a hole for the 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. The pin is connected to the base of the vase by short length of round-link chain. A second length of chain is attached to a plain 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. Four petals attach to the handle, which is smooth and tubular and curves up to create a loop. This type of handle is sometimes referred to as a “rattail” or “spoon” handle.

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

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

content: 5 × 1 in. (12.7 × 2.5 cm)

label: Style

content: Aesthetic Movement

content: Great Britain

content: <I>Bouquet holder, oak leaf motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, OAK LEAF MOTIF</I>

title: <I>Bouquet holder, oak leaf motif</I>


content: ca. 1881-1893

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Manufacturer

content: J.W. Fiske Iron Works

content: Cast-iron aquarium on base with plate glass windows. The rectangular tank has two windows on the front, two on the back, and one on each side. Between each pane of glass is a cast column with a spike finial on top. The base is made of cast iron with two legs joined by upper and lower stretchers. The design is in the Rococo Revival style with C-scrolls, vegetal forms, and scroll feet. The major characteristics of the art, architecture, and decorative arts produced in nineteenth century are historicism, eclecticism, and mixing multiple styles together. Rococo Revival style was the most popular style of the Victorian era in the United States. It emerged as early as the 1830s and continued to be seen into the 1900s. This style was modeled after eighteenth-century French designs, yet the revival of the style pushed elements further. Rococo Revival objects tended to be highly ornamental, with more substantial, less delicate forms, and visually dense decoration. This style is defined by its sense of movement and its delicacy, as well as curvaceousness, asymmetry, and curvilinear forms. Rococo Revival motifs included floral imagery, abundant swags of fruit and foliage, shell-like waves, ‘S’ & ‘C’ scrolls, rocaille decoration, serpentine curves, frozen water forms, volutes, acanthus leaves, and cabriole legs.

content: In the mid-1800s, interest in marine and fresh water life soared, which led to the development and widespread popularity of aquariums for the home. Aquariums served as fish tanks or small ornamental fountains in the Victorian home. They might contain wild plants and creatures combined with ferns and fountain feature. Some aquariums were salt-water, providing a glimpse of ocean life, but the majority were fresh-water aquariums. The large plate-glass windows gave a panoramic view of an underwater world and earned the aquarium a place of prominence in many homes. Books and articles were written with instructions on creating and maintaining parlor aquariums, as well as what forms of plant and animal life to stock in it. Water plants and animals were often transplanted from the wild to the drawing room to recreate an encapsulated living world. Victorians watched the antics, growing cycles, and symbiotic relationships that flourished within their parlor aquarium. Soon every home wanted an aquarium and, with price cutting innovations of the Industrial Revolution, many homes could now afford one. Because of their popularity, aquariums were mass produced in a variety of materials and sizes, and they were frequently combined with a Wardian case, bird cage, or plant stand to form a large showpiece for the parlors or conservatories of the mid-to-late-nineteenth century. Aquariums created an ostentatious display that provided an escape from the city and were evidence of the owner’s social superiority and interests in natural history. The household aquarium was a source of entertainment, but it also afforded Victorians with opportunity to for scientific study of the plants and creatures behind the glass.

label: Mark(s)

content: J. W. Fiske New York.

label: Inscription(s)

content: Inscription on stand: J. W. Fiske New York.

content: New York, New York, United States

content: aquariums (containers)

content: case furniture

content: cases (containers)

content: cast iron

content: ferneries (greenhouses)

content: glass

content: plate glass

content: terrariums

content: Wardian cases

content: Garden ornaments and furniture

content: indoor gardening

content: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: 1984.198.a, b

content: Aquariums

content: Glass gardens

content: Cast iron, plate glass, paint

label: Dimensions

content: Overall: 47 × 36 1/2 in. (119.4 × 92.7 cm)

content: Tank (interior): 14 × 33 in. (35.6 × 83.8 cm)

content: Base: 29 1/4 × 23 × 14 1/2 in. (74.3 × 58.4 × 36.8 cm)

content: Rococo Revival

place:
New York
United States

topic:
Ferneries (greenhouses)
Cast iron
Glass
Indoor gardening
Plate glass
Cases (containers)
Gardens
Case furniture
Furnishings
Victoriana
Wardian cases
Terrariums
Aquariums (containers)

content: New York

type: State

content: New York

content: United States

object_type:
Glass gardens
Aquariums (containers)

content: <I>Aquarium or terrarium on stand</I>

title_sort: <I>AQUARIUM OR TERRARIUM ON STAND</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

title: <I>Aquarium or terrarium on stand</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1879-1962

label: Period

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 Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor is a nondenominational evangelical society founded in 1881 in Portland, Maine. The aim of the club was to promote a Christian life, make themselves useful to God, and increase fellowship. The emblem of the Christian Endeavor is a letter E within a circle.

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: secret societies

content: societies

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

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Wire

content: 16 × 14 × 1 in. (40.6 × 35.6 × 2.5 cm)

content: <I>Wire frame, Christian Endeavor emblem</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR EMBLEM</I>

label: High-resolution JPEG


content: ca. 1830-1920

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Designer

content: Henry Jenkins and Sons

label: Description

content: Silver holder with fox, grapes, and basket motif with a spindle handle. The large funnel-shaped vase of the holder is created of three 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 with a small hole for a floral pin. The base of the vase is stamped with wild foliate motifs and the remnant of a twisted curb chain is attached. This chain would likely have connected to the floral pin, which was used to pierce the stems of the flowers to secure them in the bouquet holder. The silver, spindle handle of the bouquet holder is formed with leaf repeats that swell above the lower registers.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: Registry diamond on handle

label: Origin

content: Birmingham, England, 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

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

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

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

content: 5 3/4 × 2 in. (14.6 × 5.1 cm)

content: Naturalism

content: Birmingham

content: England

label: Title

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

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

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image


content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: The Bible was a popular adaptation for funeral flower frames. A book in mourning symbolism represented a scholar, the Bible, or the Book of Life. This floral tribute was meant to call attention to the deceased person’s religion and be a testament to their beliefs. The book ranged in sizes and might be open or closed. It often included a ribbon book marker with a favorite verse on it. The Bible was sometimes combined with other floral frames, such as the wreath or cross. It was a suitable design for any age individual of the Christian faith, both male and female. The book flower frame could also be interpreted as the Book of Life. In the Christian tradition, the Book of Life was a ledger of the deeds of the righteous and contained the names of those who would be granted entrance to Kingdom of Heaven. This flower frame was a favorite device for chronicling the name of the deceased, or the open page could also be inscribed with "He Giveth His Beloved Sleep", "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth", and "He Giveth Victory.” When portrayed with an open book, the design was appropriate for the funeral of any Christian. However, when closed, this design represented a completed life, and was, therefore, more suited to the elderly. In addition to the name, a popular inscription for the Book of Life could be “Finis.”

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: Credit Line

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

label: Dimensions

content: 24 × 21 × 18 in. (61 × 53.3 × 45.7 cm)

content: <I>Wire frame, open book on folding stand</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, OPEN BOOK ON FOLDING STAND</I>


label: Date

content: ca. 1879-1962

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Large letter flower frames were made to spell out messages. They could be used for almost any occasion depending on the word, name, or phrase they created.

label: Label Text

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: 12 × 11 × 1 in. (30.5 × 27.9 × 2.5 cm)

content: <I>Wire frame, letter "V"</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, LETTER "V"</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

title: <I>Wire frame, letter "V"</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver bouquet holder with grapes and a spoon handle. The vase is formed by three repeats of grape cluster and leaves design above partial stampings of the same pattern. In the uppermost section of leaves is a large hole for the insertion of the floral pin. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure them inside the holder. It is connected to the bouquet holder by a short length of chain with round links at the base of the vase where it meets the handle. A second fragment of the same chain is missing the ring it would have linked to the holder. 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. The handle is smooth and tubular and curves up to create a loop. This type of handle is sometimes referred to as a “rattail” or “spoon” handle.

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

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Silver

content: 5 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (13 × 3.8 cm)

label: Style

content: Naturalism

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, grape leaf motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, GRAPE LEAF MOTIF</I>

label: High-resolution JPEG

title: <I>Bouquet holder, grape leaf motif</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Silver bouquet holder with mother of pearl handle. The openwork vase is comprised of large leaves and grape clusters. A short length of chain connects a floral pin to the base 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 neck, which connects the vase to the handle, is hourglass-shaped with deep cast forms. A second length of chain connected to a ring is attached to the lower portion of the neck. 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. The curved handle is made from turned mother of pearl with a silver ring around it near the tip. 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: Germany, possibly

label: Topic

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: mother of pearl

content: porte-bouquets

content: porte-fleurs

content: Posy holders

content: silver

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

content: Silver, mother of pearl

content: 4 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (11.4 × 3.8 cm)

content: Naturalism

content: Germany

content: <I>Bouquet holder, grape and leaf motif, mother of pearl handle</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, GRAPE AND LEAF MOTIF, MOTHER OF PEARL HANDLE</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Gilded metal bouquet holder with mother of pearl handle. The funnel-shaped vase is comprised of pierced Rococo Revival motifs. Around the lip, small peach-colored beads are mounted in the center of flanking C scrolls. A short length of chain connects a floral pin to the base 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 neck, which connects the vase to the handle, is stamped with a foliate scroll decoration. 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.

content: France, 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: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Gilded metal, mother of pearl, beads

content: Rococo Revival

content: France

label: Title

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

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

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image


label: Date

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Copper vase and handle. The vase of the bouquet holder is formed by stamped leaves and branches with small clusters of cherries that dangle flush to the surface in two repeats. The jagged-edged leaves have a textured surface that is overlain with thin smooth veins. Two small birds are nestled in the foliage. A soldered loop-headed floral pin connected to a short length of twisted curb chain is attached by a large loop at the base of the vase. The pin could be inserted through two small holes in the vase to hold the stems of a posy secure in the holder. The straight handle is formed by smooth twisted metal wire with a finger loop end.

content: bouquet holders

content: bouquetiers

content: copper

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

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

label: Accession number

content: Bouquet holders

content: Copper

label: Dimensions

content: 5 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (14.6 × 3.8 cm)

content: Aesthetic Movement

object_type:
Bouquet holders
Copper (metal)

content: <I>Bouquet holder, birds and cherry motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, BIRDS AND CHERRY MOTIF</I>


label: Period

content: Art Nouveau (1890-1910)

content: Gilded copper cornucopia or horn of plenty bouquet holder. The cornucopia shape is designed so that the vase and handle are all one. It has a wide, trumpet-like mouth with a surface of smooth copper that curves at the end. Attached to the underside of the lip is a looped-head cotter pin attached by a round-linked chain. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure the flowers inside the holder. This bouquet holder also has a stand with an elaborate spring mechanism. The legs are released by sliding the lever on the back. This would allow the bouquet holder to act as a free standing table or mantle ornament.

label: Label Text

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

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Silver

content: 4 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (12.1 × 6.4 cm)

content: Art Nouveau

content: Great Britain

content: <I>Bouquet holder, cornucopia</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, CORNUCOPIA</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF

title: <I>Bouquet holder, cornucopia</I>


content: ca. 1879-1962

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: The scroll or roll of honor was often used for men in the prime of life and was often covered with ivy and an inscription or emblem in flowers. “Rest” was a popular inscription for the scroll because of the comfort and wide-spread appeal of the associations of death and sleep. This design was also adapted to the funerals of members of the armed forces. 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: 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.

label: Topic

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: scrolls (information artifacts)

content: secret societies

content: societies

content: symbols

content: wirework

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

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

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 16 × 15 × 9 1/2 in. (40.6 × 38.1 × 24.1 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
Scrolls (information artifacts)
Emblems
Military

content: <I>Wire frame, honor roll on stand</I>

title_sort: <I>WIRE FRAME, HONOR ROLL ON STAND</I>

label: High-resolution JPEG

title: <I>Wire frame, honor roll on stand</I>


content: ca. 1860-1940

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Stars set designs were used for a wide variety of occasions. They were often part of emblems for organizations, such as the military, and incorporated into larger arrangements. Stars were also popular at Christmas time acting as the Star of Bethlehem from the story of the nativity. In mourning iconography, a star is symbolic of wisdom and the Divine Spirit. The use of the star flower frame could be to symbolize wisdom or as more of a decorative device. The Order of the Eastern Star (OES), the women’s auxiliary of the Freemasons, used the star as its emblem and frequently had this flower frame at ceremonies and funerals of its members. Their symbol was a five-pointed star which referred to five biblical heroines – Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha, and Electra – who achieved virtue in the five roles of a woman’s life – daughter, sister, wife, mother, and widow. Each point also symbolized the central tenets of the organization: fidelity, constancy, loyalty, faith, and love. Eastern Star Organization flower frames had one point face downward in white then green, red, blue, and yellow points arranged clockwise. The letters FATAL were sometimes applied to the points which stood for “Fairest Among Ten-thousand Altogether Lovely” as well as implying that to betray the secrets of the Eastern Star would be fatal. 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 stars, 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: stars

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: weddings

content: wirework

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Floral frames

content: Wire

content: 14 × 14 in. (35.6 × 35.6 cm)

topic:
Funerary objects
Frame components
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
Military

label: Title

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

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

label: Screen Image

label: Thumbnail Image

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


label: Date

content: ca. 1871

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver-plated brass bouquet holder with spade handle. The vase is comprised of two repeats of a grape and leaves pattern. The smooth surface of the grapes is off set by the textured leaves in the design. Near the top of the vase is a large hole for a floral pin. The pin would be used to pierce the stems of the bouquet to secure the flowers in the holder. The spade handle is in a Gothic Revival trefoil shape that incorporates acanthus leaves on the inner and outer surfaces, which was stamped in two parts. The acanthus leaf neck, which connects the vase and handle, has a short length of round-chain connecting a ring attached to it. 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: 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: Mark(s)

content: Registry diamond dates on both sides of the handle below the leaves, [Sept.] 22, [1871]

label: Origin

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, Horticultural Artifacts Collection. Gift of Frances Jones Poetker.

label: Data Source

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Brass, silver plating

content: 6 × 1 1/2 in. (15.2 × 3.8 cm)

label: Style

content: Gothic Revival

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, grape leaf motif</I>

title: <I>Bouquet holder, grape leaf motif</I>


content: ca. 1830-1920

label: Period

content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver-plated brass holder with looped handle. The pierced, openwork design of the vase is comprised of three repeats of an ornate scrolling pattern, which creates a crown-like lip around the opening. Near the top of the vase is a hole for the floral pin. The pin would be inserted through the vase to pierce the stems of a bouquet in order to secure them inside the holder. The neck, which connects the vase to the handle is spherical with four repeats of figure-8 form. The looped, or rat-tail, handle is made from a single sheet stamped with a scaly pattern produced by seven encircled dots. The handle terminates with a tiny stamped flower. There is also a ring near the bottom that attaches to the floral pin and a ring. The ring would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine in order to free the lady's hands while dancing. A wire-loop clip on the back of the bouquet holder also allowed it to be worn attached to the clothing.

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.

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

label: Accession number

label: Type

content: Bouquet holders

content: Brass, silver plating

label: Dimensions

content: 4 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (12.1 × 3.8 cm)

content: Rococo Revival

content: Birmingham

content: England

content: <I>Bouquet holder, scroll motif</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, SCROLL MOTIF</I>

title: <I>Bouquet holder, scroll motif</I>


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

label: Description

content: Gilded metal bouquet holder with clip. The small hexagonal holder is etched with elaborate S and C scroll decoration. A loop-shaped clip on the back allowed the holder to be worn attached to garments. The tapered holder is capped with decorative crown finial. Just above the finial a short length of chain connects 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.

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: Victoriana

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

label: Restrictions & Rights

label: Medium

content: Gilded metal

content: 2 3/4 × 1/2 in. (7 × 1.3 cm)

content: Renaissance Revival

content: <I>Bouquet holder, cone shape with hook</I>

title_sort: <I>BOUQUET HOLDER, CONE SHAPE WITH HOOK</I>

label: High-resolution TIFF


content: Victorian (1837-1901)

content: Silver filigree bouquet holder in cornucopia shape. The body of the holder is made from filigree swirls overlaid with an applied flower and leaves. The rim of the holder is scalloped and filled with diagonal ellipses. A filigree and round-link chain is attached to the inner curve of the cornucopia and connects to a loop-ended 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: 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

label: See more items in

content: Horticultural Artifacts Collection

label: Credit Line

content: Smithsonian Gardens

content: Bouquet holders

content: Silver

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

label: Title

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

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

label: High-resolution JPEG

label: Screen Image