What distinguishes an angel from a putto in mourning jewellery?

Two things. Form: the angel is usually adult, in a long robe, with large wings, often standing or hovering; the putto is childlike, often nude or with a cloth girdle, with small wings, seated or in flight. Meaning: the angel is the soul's companion or a heavenly messenger; the putto is the child's soul or an allegorical attendant. In mourning jewellery for deceased children the putto appears more often; in mourning for adults, the angel.

Which occasions of mourning call up angel symbolism?

Above all mourning for children. For deceased infants, young children and adolescents, angel and putto symbolism is central - the child's departed soul is depicted as an angel or a putto. Angel symbolism is also frequently used for sudden, unexpected deaths (accident, illness) and for religiously motivated mourning pieces (above all in Catholic contexts). For adults with a lifelong religious practice it appears as an accompanying symbol alongside other mourning ciphers.

Are angels used in modern memorial jewellery?

Yes, above all in the context of remembrance for babies lost before, during or shortly after birth (see Memorial Jewellery for Stillbirth and Infant Loss). Small angel or putto pendants are commissioned for infants who died early, for miscarriages and for stillbirths - often with dates of birth and death, sometimes with ashes or a fingerprint as personalisation. The iconographic tradition lives on with particular vigour in this specific sub-genre.

Angels and Putti

In mourning jewellery, angels and putti form the iconographic bridge between death and redemption - the angel as the soul's companion into the hereafter, the putto as an image of the innocent child's soul. Both motifs are widespread in sentimental and Victorian mourning jewellery, above all in the context of mourning for children.

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