Victorian Aesthetic Period Fly on a Leaf Brooch

Most people these days think of flies as annoying, unwanted pests. However, for our Victorian ancestors, these winged insects held a much deeper, spiritual meaning.  Going hand in hand with 19th-century society's fascination with death and memento mori, the fly was often used as a representation of human mortality and spiritual humility.  They also were believed to ward off evil when worn as a talisman, which could be why we see a number of fly motifs, such as this, in jewelry of the era.  On a lighter note, Victorians also believed that the fly symbolized secrets and secret keeping given its ability to silently listen and observe the happenings around them without uttering a word or disturbing a soul.  A "fly on the wall," anyone? This beautiful brooch hails from the aesthetic period of the 1880s, a time when Victorians gave the middle finger to the Industrial Revolution and yearned to return to nature, which included incorporating elements of plants, insects and animals into their ev