Why is the stylised heart shape not anatomical?

The two-lobed shape tapering to a point below does not correspond to the anatomical heart - which is a single-lobed organ the size of a fist, asymmetrical to the left. The symbolic form probably arose in the late fourteenth century from the stylisation of plant motifs (ivy, water-lily leaf, lotus blossom) associated with love in medieval iconography. Only in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries did the stylised form become the standard symbol of love; today it is recognisable worldwide and no longer legible as anatomy.

Which variants of the heart occur in mourning jewellery?

Several are documented. The plain heart - the most frequent form, often with an inscription or initials. The pierced heart (the Sacred Heart of the Catholic tradition) - a heart transfixed by a sword or encircled by thorns, symbolising the pain of love or the suffering of Christ. The winged heart - a heart with angel's wings, symbolising the ascent of the deceased person's soul. The double heart - two joined hearts, for spouses or close bonds. The crowned heart - a symbol of the widowed queen, or the Irish Claddagh heart of fidelity. The flaming heart - a heart with rising flames, mystical and passionate in charge.

Are heart-shaped ash pendants a modern invention?

A modern invention in the ash variant: yes, since ash pendants have existed as a jewellery form only since the 1980s (see Ash Pendant). The heart-shaped hollow setting, however, has older precedents: from the seventeenth century onwards there were heart-shaped mourning pendants with a hollow at the core in which a lock of hair (see Hairwork), a miniature portrait or an inscription was sealed. The modern ash heart pendant is the direct successor of that tradition - the substance changes (from hair to ashes), the form remains.

Heart

The heart is the third element of the Christian triad of virtues (faith - hope - love) and at the same time the strongest secular symbol of love and affection in mourning and memorial jewellery - from the medieval Sacred Heart via the Georgian heart locket to the modern ash pendant in the shape of a heart.

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