Antique Victorian Mourning Locket with Jewish WWII Kristallnacht Provenance

This rare, sleek heart-shaped locket was made from oxidized sterling silver and 10k gold. The description offered is that it dates to sometime after 1880 but no later than 1910. 

Very little is known about this locket…which makes it all the more romantic...and hauntingly mysterious. 

Yet, there is a fascinating glimpse into its provenance. The letter inside may hold even more clues that the locket’s new owner may wish to research. 

This mourning locket is an estate item, and comes from a German banking and finance family. They lived in Frankfort until the Nazi atrocities began…. 

On the nights of November 9 & 10, 1938 a nationwide campaign of absolute destruction, plundering and murder were conducted by the Nazis against Jewish families and their businesses. The event was called Kristallnacht or “Night of the Broken Glass” due to the unimaginable amounts of glass shards that lay in the streets following the Nazi devastation of Jewish synagogues, homes and storefronts. 

The German family who owned this locket were Jewish and greatly suffered. Yet, they were allowed to flee Frankfort to the United States immediately after Kristallnacht, but with only the remaining contents of their home and while forfeiting large amounts of their family money left behind in the German banks. 

The hand-tinted Victorian portrait photograph is original to the locket and is accompanied by bits of what appears to be a love letter from the gentleman in the photograph, Sigmund. 
 

The letter fragments, with signature, as well as the photograph were carefully fashioned by the original owner to fit the heart shaped, golden frame within the shadowy silver locket. 

Gold is the classic symbol of eternity…. 

Sterling silver was intentionally oxidized and favored for Victorian mourning jewelry; the elegant treatment was destined to remain dark. 

The locket is a lovely size at 1-5/8 inches or nearly 4.5 cm in length and 1-1/4 inches or slightly over 3 cm in width at the widest point. It is made from oxidized sterling silver, 10k gold and paper thin sheets of glass. The haunting memories within are certainly historically important, as well as loving.