The old cemetery in St. Antonin had alot of old French beaded funeral wreaths called "Immortelles."
The Immortelles would be left at the grave of
the deceased.
They ranged in sized from 2 feet to 4 feet in height.
They often featured flowers made out of black or other dark-colored beads, to
express the grief of the mourners.
Not only are there bead flowers mounted on the frame of the Immortelle, but the frame wires are wrapped in beaded wire as well...
Wires strung with beads might have been coiled or braided as well
before wrapping onto the piece.
The whole surface of the Immortelle would be
wrapped over with wire strung with thousands and thousands of beads.
The immortelle would disintegrated due to exposure to the weather...
It would leave a pile of beads and the beads would often be recycled into other projects.
The Immortelles in St. Antonin were so fascinating...I wish I had more time to explore.
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