Love objects

1. Anonymous,
Valentine, 1841,
This watercolour lithography would
have been purchased as a Valentine
Day’s gift. It was sold by the company
Turner & Fisher, and addressed to Miss
Anne Kettly, Messrs Pickford & Co,
Tipton, Nr Dudley. This is an address in
England.
Valentine’s Day cards were popular in
the nineteenth century and shared
between lovers, friends, and family
members.
The Metropolitan Museum Gift of Mrs.
Richard Riddell, 1981

2. Anonymous,
Valentine, 1850
This valentine is cameo embossed
paper, which is die cut and
handpainted. It was sold by
Kershaw & Son, and contains the
words ‘Don’t fear to trust me’. It
was addressed to Miss Ollie Smith,
Penny Yan, NY, care of JI Smith.
The Metropolitan Museum Gift of
Mrs. Richard Riddell, 1981

3. Gloves, early
19thC, Spanish
Gloves were a popular gift in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,
not least as they could be purchased
relatively cheaply. They were given at
Christmas or on special occasions.
They could be handed out at weddings
to guests. Some gloves contain images
that commemorate particular events
or provide messages. These gloves
contain a picture of a mother and child
in a pastoral setting, perhaps marking
a parent-child relationship.
The Metropolitan Museum Rogers Fund
1926

4. ‘Eye’ brooch,
19thC, English
Jewellery that contained an eye was
known as Lover’s Eye jewellery and
was fashionable from the 1780s to
1830s in England, Europe and
America. A paintings of your lover’s
eye was mounted on a ring, brooch,
or pendants, and allowed you to look
into their eyes in their absence. The
eye was associated with love, as it
provided an access point to the
heart.
The Metropolitan Museum Bequest of
Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019

5. Mourning
Jewellery, mid-
19thC,
American
This brooch contains human
hair. Using hair to make
jewellery and art was
popular in the nineteenth
century. Items made of hair
commemorated an absent
loved one, whether that
was a lover or a deceased
family member. Such items
allowed people to carry
part of the person with
them.
The Metropolitan Museum
Gift of Miriam W. Coletti, 1993

6. Busk, 17th
Century, French
A busk was a strip of whalebone or similar material
that was inserted into the front of a corset to
stiffen it. They were often ornately carved and
symbols of love and sexuality were common,
perhaps contributed by a lover. This busk includes
women playing musical instruments, a bird and
scrolls. On the back, which would have pressed
against the heart, is a clasped hands, flames and a
heart pieced by an arrow – all symbols of romantic
love.
The Metropolitan Museum, Gift of Mrs. Edward S.
Harkness, 1930

7. Spoon with flaming heart and romantic
inscription, late 18th or early 19thC, German
This carved spoon was made out of horn. The words translate
to mean ‘Friendship brings pleasure, love rest to the heart; if
both be thy treasure, how happy thou art’. Carving wooden
items, like spoons, household goods and furniture, was an
important courtship ritual. Men made these gifts for women
and they were used by the household after marriage. Some
examples are highly ornate, beautiful pieces of art, reflecting
skilled craftsmen.
The Metropolitan Museum, Gift of Mrs. Samuel P. Avery, 1897