Sartorial Adventure

Roman ring, made from gold and aquamarine depicting a woman riding on a hippocamp

1st century AD

Antique Victorian Vulcanite Eagle Mourning Brooch Pin

Symbolism:

Garland - representing the triumph of the soul over death and the realization of eternal life.

Grapevines for mourning are deeply rooted in history and symbolism, with vines and leaves frequently found in historical cemetery monuments and Victorian-era mourning jewelry. They symbolize rebirth, the triumph over death, and the joys of the afterlife, as well as the blood of Christ in Christian tradition.

Eagle – Representing courage and possibly a military career.

Rose – Representing love, beauty, hope and goodness and associated with the Virgin Mary and the ‘rose without thorns.’ A red rose stands for martyrdom and a white rose means purity.

Forget-me-nots - Representing enduring remembrance, true love, and faithfulness. It served as a comforting promise that the emotional bond with the deceased remained unbroken, transcending death and keeping the memory of the loved one alive.

Dress

c. 1890

Fobs

18th century gentlemen wore watch chains attached their timepieces because they helped make it easy to check the time without having to root inelegantly in a tiny pocket. Watch chains were long enough to show from under the waistcoat.

Today, we call these kinds of chains fobs. However, the word “fob” originally referred not to the chain itself, but to the small pocket in which valuables, like a watch, were kept. Breeches in the 18th and early 19th century had wide waistbands with small pockets fitted into them, a tradition continued by many modern pairs of jeans:

So in the 18th century, the fob was the pocket and the watch chain was what you attached your watch to. However, many museums, especially American museums, label them (and even some equipages/chatelaines) as fobs. The confusion may stem from the fact that many earlier 18th century men’s watch chains are not chains at all, but watch strings made of ribbons, tassels and other passementerie.

@magictrapeze I looked this up, and here's what I found:

The word "fob" originally comes from the German word fuppe or fobke, meaning "small pocket." It originally referred to the specific, small concealed pocket in a man's waistcoat used to hold a pocket watch.

Then, because of how the watch was worn, "fob" came to mean the short chain, leather strap, or ribbon used to attach the watch to the waistband or vest pocket. This allowed the wearer to easily pull the watch out.

Over time, people began hanging decorative ornaments, wax seals, or medallions from the end of the strap or chain. These dangling charms also became known as "fobs".

~ Władisław Bakałowicz, Portrait of Józefina Amszyńska née Guzowska (c.1882) (detail)

Costume designed by Tom Pye for Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack (2019-22)