Sold: Cufflink Memories

Folk art memoryware table top studded with cufflink faces / semi-precious stone, mother of pearl, ceramic, etc. / c. late 19th century

Once the top of a small table, this extraordinary “memory” object is encrusted with the cabochons of lost Victorian cufflinks. Memory pieces — usually composed of disparate small, seemingly random objects like buttons or keys — served to collect bits and pieces significant to their makers and are akin to personal journals or scrapbooks. They were also made to memorialize the dead, in which case personal objects belonging to the deceased would be used to create a memory mosaic.

The memories held here take the form of etched semi-precious stones and hand-painted enamel cabochons, all of such superb quality they were surely set in gold and silver mounts. Made of carnelian, onyx, bloodstone, tiger eye, agate, mother of pearl, and other materials the cufflink faces depict micromosaics, intaglio portraits, hand-painted animals, fraternal symbols, locomotives, straight razors, high-wheel bicyclists, William Shakespeare, the Man in the Moon, and more. How the expensive cufflinks of a millionaire lost their mounts and ended up as an exquisite hodgepodge is a mystery, but their variety and craftsmanship make this the most extraordinary memory objects I’ve found.

Condition

Very good antique condition with a few missing cabochons.

Measurements

15 inches long

Shipping

Free in the continental United States. If an international buyer, please contact me for a shipping estimate by clicking here.