Seven Sorrows ~ The Servite Chaplet
19th Century Brass, Copper, & Bronze
The reverse shows the crucifixtion in a highly stylaized manner. The cross is draped, with a sun at the top and at the end of each arm. There is also a sunburst behind. The corpus is very worn but can still be seen, faintly. There apear to be three nails at the base of the cross. Two cherubs hold a banner. All this is within an oval beaded border, and outside the border is the inscription "IL SS CROCIFISSO DELL' ANNUNCIATA IN COMO".
No makers marks or country of origin.
The reverse shows the crucifixtion in a highly stylaized manner. The cross is draped, with a sun at the top and at the end of each arm. There is also a sunburst behind. The corpus is very worn but can still be seen, faintly. There apear to be three nails at the base of the cross. Two cherubs hold a banner. All this is within an oval beaded border, and outside the border is the inscription "IL SS CROCIFISSO DELL' ANNUNCIATA IN COMO".
No makers marks or country of origin.
A delicate and lovely chaplet from the mid 19th century, with beads made from Jobs Tears seeds, brass links, and coiled brass spacers. The medals are thin with scalloped edges, made from stamped brass and were originally silver plated. The coiled spacers appear to have been silvered as well. Most of the silver plate has worn away.
The art on the the medals is amazingly detailed, and still crisp. There is a portrait style Madonna on each medal with the inscription Mater Dolorosa Ora Pro Nobis. In place of a medallion there is a stamped crucifix that is original to the chaplet, silver plated brass with a scalloped edge. The cricifix is double sided, an indication of it's antiquity, and shows the crucified Christ over a scull and bones on one side, and on the reverse, a crowned Madonna and baby Jesus between the two sacred hearts.
Bone and brass, from the mid 1800s. Complete and all original. Medallion shows Our Mother of Sorrows portrait style, that is, from the waist up, with hands clasped and seven swords piercing a flaming heart. The inscription is in Latin: "Mater Dolorosa Ora Pro Nobis". Reverse is the crucifixion, with Mary kneeling, a skull in the foreground and the city of Jerusalem, or perhaps the Temple, in the background. The inscription reads: "Christie Eleison".
Well worn pressed brass medals have a rare seated Madonna with hands held in an attitude of prayer. There are is a border of raised radiant lines still faintly visible on both sides. The brass medallion has a portrait style Madonna with the inscription 'Mater Dolorosa Ora Pro Nobis'. The reverse shows the crucifixion and has the inscriptions 'It Est Mort Pour Nous'.
The links are steel with much rust. The beads are a lovely silky dark brown wood with a dull finish, perhaps Bog Wood.
There is an aluminum Miraculous Medal attached in place of a missing bead, with inscriptions in English. The medal has a diamond shaped makers mark but wear has made it unreadable. No other marks or stamps.
This rosary is part of my Hoyt collection, a group of rosaries that belonged to Fredrick and Jane Hoyt, survivors of the sinking of the Titanic. Mr Hoyt was born on September 15th, the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows, and the couple owned several Seven Sorrows chaplets.
This unusual 7 sorrows chaplet has been repaired many times over it's long life, as can be seen by comparing the medals. There are a total of five different types of medals - only three of the sorrows match! We can assume that the matching medals are the originals, but why so many replacements? The medallion is a close match for the three matching sorrows medals, and the attaching coil is consistent with the chain, so the medallion is almost certainly original. All are brass, from the mid to late 19th century.
The beads are carved and appear to be boxwood, or possibly Bois Durchi. The chain and links are steel and are very rusty. All beads and links appear to be original and none are missing or look like replacements. There are Pater beads before each sorrow medal, as is often seen in older 19th century chaplets.
A molded brass crucifix has been added by the medallion. It is of approximately the same vintage as the rest of the chaplet, but probably not originally part of it. The reverse has the inscription Je Suis Chretien. Both sides are signed L. Penin, for Ludovic Penin (1830 – 1868), a famous French engraver and founder of the Penin engraving firm of Lyon.
There are no foundry stamps, purity marks, or Country of Origin stamps.
This mid 19th century chaplet has pressed brass medals showing a 3/4 Madonna with hands clasped at her waist and a simple halo. The inscription on the medals is in Latin: MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. There is a thin plain raised border on both sides. Coiled and twisted brass spacers flank each medal.
The bead are dark brown hardwood, bead links are steel. The first medal isn't directly joined to the first and last septet, the coiled spacers join the crown of the chaplet to the drop, with the first medal as part of the drop. There is one extra bead, a rose-carved pater next to the medallion.
The brass medallion show a portrait style Mother of Sorrows with clasped hands simple halo. She appears to be looking down at something she holds in her hands. The inscription is in German: SCHMERZHAFTE MUTTER BITTE FUR UNS.
The reverse shows the crucifixion, with the inscription IM KREUZ IST HEIL!.
This chaplet is similar to 7sorrowsG, above. Pressed brass medals showing a 3/4 Madonna with hands clasped at her waist and a simple halo. The inscription on the medals is in Latin: MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. There is a thin plain raised border on both sides. Coiled brass spacers flank each medal.
The bead are made for seeds. There is damage to the hard shell of the seeds, otherwise they would look like hardwood. This type of seed is fairly common in Northern European rosaries from the 1800, especially early in the century, but I have no idea what plant they came from. Bead links are bass. Coiled spacers join the crown of the chaplet to the drop, with the first medal as part of the drop.
There is are the standard three beads in the drop, but the bead next to the medallion is flanked by coiled spacers. It's likly there is a missing bead, and that there were originally three beads, a spacer, a bead, a spacer, then the medallion.
The brass medallion show a portrait style Mother of Sorrows with clasped hands simple halo. She appears to be looking down at something she holds in her hands. The inscription is in German: SCHMERZHAFTE MUTTER BITTE FUR UNS.
The reverse shows the crucifixion, with the inscription IM KREUZ IST HEIL!.
Another Seven Sorrows chaplet from my Hoyt collection. This one has been partially repaired by the addition of several beads from another rosary from the same source. A copper ring marks the place where the 'Flight into Egypt' medal is missing. An aluminum medal of the same sorrow, from the same source, is appended. The original condition of both rosaries is shown in the last picture, below.
Pressed brass medals with a plain raised border, no inscriptions or other markings. Portrait style Madonna with clasped hands, no halo. The Medallion is also pressed brass with a portrait style Madonna.
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This is different artwork, Our Lady's hands are not shown and she wears a simple halo. The inscription reads N.D. DES SEPT DOULEURS P.P.N. The reverse shows the crucifixion with the inscription IL EST MORT POUR NOUS.
The beads are bone, links are brass. There are brass spacers in the drop, which originally had two extra pater beads, in the configuration common to Dominican rosaries but not seen on most Seven Sorrows chaplets. One of these paters is missing. There are no spacers flanking the medals.
This 19th century 7 sorrows chaplet comes from Lincolnshire, England. It has copper medals with a beautiful patina. The 'doubled back' chain and the bead links are steel and have some rust. The beads are carved with the overlapping circles commonly thought of as stylized roses, they appear to be Whitby Jet but may be Bog Oak. There are Pater beads before each sorrow medal, as is often seen in older 19th century chaplets.
The 'portrait' style Madonna on the medallion is slightly different from the Madonna on the medals, and has the inscription 'Mater Dolorosa'. The reverse shows the crucifixion with the unusual inscription 'Sic Deus Dilexit Mundum'. There is a small cross or clover at the beginning of the inscription, no other marks or stamps.
Bone and brass, from the mid to late 1800s. Complete and all original. Medals show Our Mother of Sorrows portrait style, that is, from the waist up, with hands clasped and seven swords piercing a flaming heart. The inscription is in Latin: MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. The sorrows are unusually detailed, each scene being expressed with great care.
The medallion is unusual, instead of showing the Madonna there is this inscription: IL EST ACCORDE 1030 JOURS D'NDULGENCE A TOURS LES FIDELES QUE RECITERONT UN AVE MARIA DEVENT CETTE SAINTE IMAGE. The reverse shows the crucifixion in detail, with the Sorrowful Mother pierced by swords, at the foot of the cross, holding her son and attended by angels. She wears a crown.
The bone beads have been dyed red. The red remains vivid but has worn away from use in several places. The bead links and doubled-back chain are copper.
No country of origin or metal content marks. There is a makers mark of a 6 petal flower, or perhaps a sunburst of six rays, on each medal and on the medallion.
Well worn, pressed brass medals with a portrait style Madonna with clasped hands. There are is a plain raised border on both sides, and the inscription MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. The brass medallion has a very similar portrait style Madonna with the inscription MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. The reverse shows the crucifixion and has the inscriptions PRO NOBIS MORTUUS EST.
The BEAD links are steel with rust. Steel chains with doubled-back links flank each medal - the chains have no rust. There are carved pater beads beside each medallion. All the beads are a brown hardwood with a dark finish. The finish has become worn away with use.
Bone and brass, from the mid 1800s. Complete and all original. Medallion shows Our Mother of Sorrows portrait style, that is, from the waist up, with hands clasped and seven swords piercing a flaming heart. both the medallion and the medal have the inscription MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. Reverse is the crucifixion, with Mary kneeling, a skull in the foreground and the city of Jerusalem, or perhaps the Temple, in the background. The inscription reads: CHRISTIE ELEISON.
Beads are bone with a beautiful patina. Two carved pater beads have been added to the drop, creating a drop like the Dominican rosary. The chain is steel with doubled-back links, bead links are also steel. No rust.
No makers marks or country of origin.
Ebony and brass, from the mid 1800s. Complete and all original. Both the medallion and the medals have a portrait style Madonna with hands clasped and seven swords piercing a flaming heart, and a simple crown. The artwork is different from any of the other medals in my collection, and an effort has been made to make the medals and the medallion artwork match. The inscription is in Latin: MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS, and there is a star at the bottom of the medal, probably a makers mark. Reverse of the medallion is the crucifixion with the inscription CHRISTIE ELEISON.
The beads are a dark hardwood, probably ebony. There are carved pater beads next to each medal. Chains flank each medal and the paters, the chain and the bead links are steel with some rust.
This very worn chaplet has been much loved and used, as it's condition shows. Many of the medals are worn almost smooth. The bead links have been broken and repaired multiple places - with copper wire, with steel wire, and with thread. The 'Prophecy of Simeon' medal is missing, as are several beads.
The beads are Jobs tears, a very pretty colorful variety with vivid stripes. Links are steel. The medals are brass. They have a portrait style Madonna, and a wide raised border decorated with engraved lines. The border continues up and around the bails. The medals have no inscriptions.
The medallion has a portrait style Madonna with clasped hands, the inscription reads MATER DOLOROSA ORA PRO NOBIS. The reverse shows the crucifixion and is inscribed CHRISTIE ELEISON.
Copper rings were added by the author to join the chaplet were links were missing.
Pressed brass medals with a plain raised border and no inscription, portrait style Madonna with clasped hands and no halo. These medals were made from the same art and possibly even the same dies that were used for 7sorrowsZA and 7SorrowsJ.
The Medallion is also pressed brass with rare seated Madonna. Her hands are clasped in prayer and she wears a simple halo. The inscription is in Spanish, and reads LOS DOLORES, followed by a star. There is a triangular makers mark at the bottom of the medallion, but it is completely plain, and doesn't look worn, it looks like it was always plain.
The reverse shows a descending dove above the two sacred hearts, with the inscription COROZONES DE JESUS V DE MARIA. At eh bottom is says ROMA. This is probably not a country of origin stamp, it is more likely to be a souvenir of a pilgrimage to Rome.
