Gettin' Handsy

In related news, Queen Victoria weirds me the eff out

Hello, my paid subscriber lovelies! I hope you’re enjoying these last few weeks of summer. As I mentioned in my most recent monthly post, there’s not a lot going on at the moment, so I thought I’d focus this email on a 19th century trend that always catches my eye: hands. Yes, hands!

Hand motifs have featured in jewelry for hundreds of years, popping up in clasped-hand Medieval “fede” or “gimmel” rings that symbolized fidelity or betrothal, or representing the “friendship” theme in Claddagh rings. They’ve also been helping us ward off the evil eye for centuries via talismans like the palm-shaped Hamsa amulets and figa pendants (which I talked a little bit about in my 2019 Halloween post).

In the 19th century, hand motifs were also used as vehicles for other symbolic items and were often depicted holding flowers that carried their own meanings. They also began to evolve into simple adornments: what better option for a tiny golden clasp than an elegant, perfectly modelled hand?