Victorian Casket Plate Memorial Shadow Box

Exquisite Victorian memorial for a baby who passed away at just 9 months in 1875. The wax flowers are orange blossoms, so that is likely the mother’s wedding crown. I especially love that the casket plate is an unusual shape, has a cross at the top, and is hand engraved in beautiful cursive script. Sometimes people ask why these antique casket plates are no longer on a casket: The funeral parlors would remove them before burial and they were kept by the families. They were very often framed like this with some kind of flowers (real or made from other materials) or other mementos, like a photo, hair; etc. The shadow box measures 16” x 14” x 4”.