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<I>Wire frame, bell with clapper</I>

The practice of using flowers at weddings is a time-honored tradition across cultures and religions. In the nineteenth century in America, wedding ceremonies were generally held in the bride’s home, and the floral arrangements were the primary form decoration. Set pieces such as a suspended bell, ox yoke, lock and key, lover’s knots, and monograms were popular wedding designs created using wire forms and were usually the most impressive arrangements. The set pieces were placed in the most visible locations, such as in front of mirrors or over the fireplace, and they were hung from the ceiling in doorways and archways of the bay window or elevated on the mantle. A bell of fresh flowers was frequently used to designate the place where the wedding ceremony would take place. The bell would often have ribbons, streamers, and even garlands of flowers hanging down or radiating out from it or the clapper might be replaced with a dove holding orange blossoms in its beak. The bell flower frame was also popular for church holidays and special occasions, especially at Christmas time.

Date

ca. 1880

Type

Floral frames

Medium

Wire

Department

HAC

Institution

Smithsonian Gardens

Object number

hac_1980.037.016

Credit

Smithsonian Gardens, Horticultural Artifacts Collection.