Victorian framed dried flower arrangements, popular in the 19th century
as both sentimental keepsakes and botanical art,
involved drying or pressing flowers to be arranged under glass.
These arrangements often featured romantic or memorial themes,
displayed on velvet or lace, and were a common,
genteel pastime used to preserve blooms and decorate homes.
The above picture was taken the day we purchased this piece.
What you can't see is the curved edged glass is not fully attached to the frame;
and the inside is filled with dust.
*
This is how it looks today.
My husband and I took it apart and cleaned the glass and artwork;
then we reassembled it back together again
with the curved glass front securely reattached to the frame.
If you noticed I added a pink butterfly to the lower right corner;
a keepsake from my mothers graveside flower keepsakes.
She was a lovely woman;
who had spent her life creating beautiful items for her home.
She did needlework and crochet...as well as collected antiques
to decorate her home in a Victorian Style.
She was moving from her home into a new place
and she couldn't take everything with her.
It all went up for sale and it was very reasonably priced.
I feel so blessed to have arrived early at this sale.
I bought many of her handmade items
and some of her antiques as well.
I thought how sad it must be to sell all her
lifetime handmade and collected treasures.
These should be family heirlooms.
She was happy that I was buying so many of her things.
She knew I would love them as she did.
They are in our home now, well taken care of and loved.
And someday they will become family heirlooms
for me to pass on to my loved ones.
