Victorian Mourning Locket with Child's Photo and Pressed Flowers

We made him ready for his rest, Flowers in his hair, and on his breast His little hands together prest.   -- From "One Morn I Left Him in His Bed"   Infant and childhood mortality rates were incredibly high during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. By the mid-1800s, more than 200 out of 1,000 children born died before their first birthday from disease or infections. In Victorian England, a shocking 16% of child deaths occurred from opium overdose, which was often prescribed to aid teething infants. We don't know the story behind the boy with the sad eyes in this locket, but you can feel the heartbreak just by holding this piece in your hands. This well-loved scalloped edge locket is made of beautifully decorated brass. It features an engraved overlapping buckle or garter centerpiece, which represents eternity and holding a loved one close. Inside the locket is a photograph of a young boy peering out from behind a tiny sprig of dried flowers. Locket comes on a brass chain.