Wax Cross

PeriodCirca 1870 - 1880

Place MadeU.S.A.

MediumPainted wood, wax, glass, wire

Dimensions18 × 11 in. (45.7 × 27.9 cm)

ClassificationsAdvertising, Business & Ornamental Artifacts

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Howard L. Irwin, 1941

Object number1652

DescriptionA large cross constructed of squared pine, painted white, and mounted on a simple square base of white painted pine. The entire wood surface of both cross and base is covered with thin sheets of white wax overlaid with elaborate white wax flowers, leaves, vines, and curling tendrils. Many of the larger wax leaves and flower petals have delicate lines and textures molded into their surfaces. The base is glued to a circular turned wood base, painted black, and covered with a large colorless glass dome which fits into a narrow groove cut along the edge of the black base.
Curatorial RemarksThe term "parlor dome" covers a wide range of decorative items, situated on turned wooden bases and covered with colorless glass domes for protection. The contents of parlor domes range from the beautiful to the bizarre. In the United States, domes were first popular around the middle of the 19th century, reaching the peak of popularity in the years immediately following the American Civil War. Wax was a favored material for creating fruit baskets, floral bouquets, and covered shapes such as this cross. Other popular parlor dome arrangements relied on dyed shells glued or wired onto an armature, formed into complex floral bouquets. Women's magazines such as Godey's Lady's Book included instructions on how to make artificial fruit and flowers with wax and shells. The more elaborate parlor domes were often commercially produced and purchased to ornament an elegant parlor. Other popular parlor domes displayed brightly colored stuffed birds, perched on branches. As the 19th century drew to a close, parlor domes and their contents fell out of favor. This particular dome, with its delicate wax vines and flowers, is a rare survivor in large part due to the extreme fragility of the wax.NotesThis ethereal wax parlor dome was donated by Keyport resident Lillian Swan Irwin (1871 - 1849). Born in 1871, Lillian married Keyport pharmacist Howard L. Irwin (1866 - 1939) on October 14, 1890. The couple lived in Keyport their entire married lives. By the time Lillian and Howard married in 1890, parlor domes were no longer considered fashionable, and many were discarded or relegated to attics. The wax cross may have been a prized possession of either Lillian's or Howard's parents, as that time period would be more in keeping with the popularlity of parlor domes.The excellent state of preservation of this particular wax cross parlor dome indicates that it may well have been a treasured keepsake in either the Swan or Irwin households and was kept carefully displayed for many years.

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