My Nostalgic Soul
Sold Out
Charlie’s Reliquary: Miniature 1" antique bisque Frozen Charlie Doll
Charlie’s Reliquary: Miniature 1" antique bisque Frozen Charlie Doll
Free US shipping on orders $70+ · otherwise $5.99
Couldn't load pickup availability
Charlie carried Charlotte's memory the way you carry something too heavy to set down. Not because he wanted the weight. Because setting it down felt like losing her twice.
The old verse gives him almost nothing. A ride home through the snow with her already gone beside him. A tin heart on a chain that he wore without rest. A grave he lay down next to on the first hard snowfall of winter and did not leave. Everyone remembers Charlotte at the ballroom steps. Almost no one remembers that there was a boy in that story who kept a small piece of her against his chest until the cold took him too.
This is the smallest way I know to keep him.
At the center sits an exceptionally tiny Frozen Charlie, only about an inch, his surface softly worn and his painted details still holding on after all this time. I set him inside an ornate silver-tone frame with clear and pearl-like beads gathered close around him, so he sits enclosed and kept, the way a reliquary keeps the one thing it was built for. He hangs from a long vintage silver-tone chain with an extender, so you can wear him high at the collar or low over the heart.
It is meant to feel like something you found at the bottom of an old jewelry box and could not put back. Unusual, quiet, and completely one of a kind.
Read the full story: Frozen Charlie – My Nostalgic Soul
Details
- Miniature Frozen Charlie doll, approximately 1 inch
- Ornate silver-tone reliquary frame with clear and pearl-like beads
- Long vintage silver-tone chain with adjustable extender
- One of a kind. You will receive the exact necklace shown
- Handmade with love in my cottage studio in Kansas
From My Nostalgic Soul to yours. — Gwendalynn Grey
Care, Wear & Provenance
Care, Wear & Provenance
A little history, a little care
Every piece I make is built by hand from things that have already lived a life. Antique bisque doll fragments, old keys and photographs, lace, silk ribbon, chandelier crystals and vintage beads, all put back together into something you can wear. They're sturdier than they look (the bisque in particular), but they are still old, and a little care goes a long way toward keeping them beautiful.
Wearing your piece
- Put your jewelry on last, after perfume, lotion and hairspray, and take it off before you bathe, swim, sleep or do anything strenuous.
- Keep the whole piece away from water and harsh chemicals and high heat.
- Be gentle with the bisque and the other fragile parts. A drop onto a hard floor or a hard knock can chip or crack them.
Cleaning
A soft, dry cloth is all it needs. Please don't use jewelry dips, silver polish or an ultrasonic cleaner, and don't rub the bisque with a polishing cloth, because they can strip old finishes, lift paint and loosen joints. Old silver-tone and brass metal darkens with time. That's normal, a naturally protective coating, and it's part of the look, so there's no need to polish it away.
Storing it
Keep each piece on its own in a dry place out of direct sunlight, so nothing scratches or tangles. Pieces with ribbon or lace keep their shape best laid flat, and the box or pouch yours came in makes a good home for it.
Please note
These are keepsakes for grown-ups, not toys, and they aren't meant for children. They have small parts that can come loose, and some old metal findings may possibly contain lead or nickel. If your skin is sensitive to base metals, you may want to wear yours over clothing or for shorter stretches.
Provenance and materials
Every bisque doll in my Frozen Charlotte and Frozen Charlie pieces is an authentic antique. The rest of a piece is a mix. Some parts are antique or vintage, like keys, lace, photographs and beads, and some are newer replicas. When I know how old something is or where it came from, I say so in that piece's description. Otherwise I can't promise the exact age, maker or history of every part.
Because these pieces are made from old things, they can show small variations, signs of age and little imperfections. I think that's a big part of their charm, and it's what makes each one the only one of its kind. That's why they chose you and me.
From My Nostalgic Soul to yours. — Gwendalynn Grey
Share
