Box with a Lock of Hair of Edith Schiele, undated

Edith Schiele (1893–1918), née Harms, married the artist Egon Schiele (1890–1918) in June 1915. Like her husband, she died from the Spanish flu in 1918. She was six months pregnant. It is unclear why and by whom a lock of hair of Edith Schiele was preserved in this beautifully decorated, hand-made wooden and brass box. Such objects were frequently kept as cherished keepsakes of deceased loved ones. This tradition saw a boost in the 19th century: Mourners commissioned so-called hair artists to create ornate commemorative objects from the hair of their deceased. The lock of hair of Edith Schiele can be attributed to this tradition and seen as a remnant of the cult surrounding relics that was widely popular from the 16th to the 20th century.

AKe, 2023