Memorial Brooch by Anstiss Stone

A portrait painted not just with pigment, but with the very substance of the person it mourns. This is the Memorial Brooch, a watercolor miniature on ivory created by Anstiss Stone around 1795, and now in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing.

Look closely at the soft texture of the girl's dress and the dove perched on her finger. The artist ground the sitter's own hair into the paint, literally binding her likeness to her physical being. The ornamental urn behind her, a classic symbol of mourning, and the weeping willow framing the scene confirm this is not a simple portrait, but a wearable keepsake of grief.

During the late 18th century, the practice of incorporating human hair into jewelry was a widespread and deeply personal way to commemorate the dead. These objects functioned as tangible connections to those who had passed, worn close to the body. The original locket was later converted into a brooch, pinned directly over the heart.

This is not just a painting of a girl. It is a relic made of her. What would you choose to remember?