Bereavement in the arts
Birth and death? Maternal memorabilia in Scotland
Keywords:
Childbed death, maternal death, Scotland, artworks, memorialsAbstract
AbstractThis paper draws on a range of artefacts to rectify the limited attention given to historical memorials recording the death of women in childbed in Scotland. These works of art were part of societies which recognised the likelihood of maternal death. The effect of both the possibility and the reality of the death of a mother is shown to be profound for the grieving widower and for other family members. The wide range of artefacts reflects the uniquely individual nature of loss in childbed and the ensuing grief.
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