Carved butternut brooch with metal pin and hook on reverse. Tag reads (erroneously) that the brooch was carved from a peach stone.
pins (jewelry)
Brooch
Butternut pins were worn during the Civil War by a faction of Northern Democrats called Copperheads or Butternuts who believed that the federal government did not have the right to stop a state from succeeding from the Union. The butternut was chosen because the color of some Confederate uniforms were dyed a butternut color and as a result Confederate soldiers were called "butternuts." Also, when the butternut was cut in half it showed two joined hearts which could not be separated by law or war.
"Carved from a peach / stone by / Morton W. Brown / 1839-1862" (Ink)
1580
Brown, Morton Winthrop (Maker)
American
15/16 in x 15/16 in x 3/16 in (HxWxD) (inches)
Gift of Miss Mabel Josselyn
1941.146
"Jewelry at Historic New England," Online exhibit presented by Historic New England launched September 30, 2007 at www.historicnewengland.org/jewelryhistory/.
Title Silver watch Accession Number 1941.143
Title Gold ring Accession Number 1941.144
Title Gold ring Accession Number 1941.145
Title Brooch Accession Number 1941.146
Title Coral bracelet Accession Number 1941.185
Title Jet cross Accession Number 1941.186
Title Accession Number Carte de Visite of donor as a child by W.R. Hawkes of Boston, MA
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