Skip to main content
Recto
Mourning Scene of a Woman Beside an Urn and Plinth

Mourning Scene of a Woman Beside an Urn and Plinth

CultureEnglish
Dateca. 1800
MediumSepia hair art on oval-shaped ivory
DimensionsOverall: 2 1/2 × 2 inches (6.35 × 5.08 cm)
Credit LineGift of Leila Cohoon/Leila's Hair Museum
Object number2025.95.1
On View
Not on view
DescriptionRecto: Among drooping trees, sits a woman. Her bent elbow rests on the upper corner of a plinth supporting an urn while her hand holds her head up. The plinth reads 'Not Lost But Gone Before.' Above her, in the sky, floats a cherub. Verso: on top of a background of chopped human hair are the intertwined, cursive initials 'AB.'Exhibition History

Leila's Hair Museum, Independence, MO, c.1986-2025 [1].

NOTES:

[1] While Leila Cohoon (1931-2024 ), founder of Leila's Hair Museum, started her collection in 1956, the works did not go on view until her museum opened around 1986. The museum closed in September, 2025. This work was one of many on display.

Provenance

Possibly with Leila Cohoon (1931-2024), Independence, MO, after 1956 [1];

With Leila's Hair Museum, Independence, MO, by 2025 [2];

Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2025.

NOTES:

[1] Leila Cohoon acquired her first piece of hair art in 1956. It is unclear how and when she acquired this piece. Possibly, she acquired this piece prior to the establishment of Leila's Hair Museum in 1986.

[2] Leila's Hair Museum was established in 1986. This work was in the collection of the Museum prior to its closure in November of 2025. At this point, works in the collection were gifted to different institutions, The Nelson-Atkins being one of them.

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.