Grays Antiques

October 21, 2011

With Halloween coming up, and the current tribal and gothic fashion trends beckoning it in, embrace your dark side this autumn at Grays with the strange and the terrifying.

Of course most of us know of various versions of the origins of Halloween. It is commonly thought that it rose out of the amalgamation of the Roman and Celtic holidays Pomona (Roman celebration devoted to the Goddess of the same name), Parentalia (Roman festival of the dead), and the famous Celtic celebration Samhain. All of these holidays focused more on the celebration of life and harvest, versus the current connotations.

Agate, Lapis and Diamond Maple Leaf Brooch, Austrian, 1930's. Price on enquiry, Michael Longmore, Grays stand 378-379.

Medieval English Angel, Carved wood circa. 1500. Patrick Boyd-Carpenter, Grays Stand 127.

It only gained its name in the late 17^th century, but steadily gained popularity. And slowly but surely its mystical roots were exchanged for more frightful histories, as the 18^th and 19^th centuries saw a strong distancing from belief in the supernatural and more trust in the scientific. However, this time of year saw the resurrection of belief in divination, ghosts, monsters and the occult.

Theodore Von Holst's (1810-1844) frontispiece to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1831).

Red Dragon Jug, late 19th century. Cekay, Grays Showcase FS005 and V027.

Famous 19^th century Gothic writers popularized the holiday through their horror novels such as Shelly’s Frankenstein, and Stokers Dracula. The rise of Orientalism also spurred more interest in the supernatural and occult.