For Pieces That Pass Through Generations
Heirloom & Cultural Keepsake Framing
Family heirlooms, ceremonial items, cultural artifacts, and generational keepsakes — built into archival shadow boxes that protect the piece for decades and let it live on a wall instead of a closet shelf. Hand-built in West Roxbury since 1981.
Walk-ins always welcome. Bring the piece in and we'll design and price it together.
Some pieces don't fit any category but their own. A grandmother's silk fan from Shanghai, a hand-painted chopstick set from Kyoto, a ketubah from a wedding 60 years ago, a baptism gown passed down through four generations. They're not 'sports memorabilia' or any other off-the-shelf category — they're heirlooms, and they deserve framing built around their specific shape, weight, and significance.
We build archival shadow boxes for family and cultural heirlooms with the same conservation methods we'd use on a museum piece — acid-free backing, UV-protective glass, reversible mounting, and a layout that respects the piece. The result is something that protects the heirloom, displays it beautifully, and can be passed down again to the next generation.
What We Frame
How It Works
From walk-in to finished piece — a careful, hands-on process built over four decades.
Bring the piece in
Heirloom framing starts with a conversation. Tell us what the piece is, who it came from, and how it's been stored. We'll examine the condition together and figure out the right approach before any work begins.
Conservation assessment
For fragile or aged pieces, we'll talk through whether straightforward shadow-box framing is appropriate or whether the piece needs paper / textile conservation work first. For especially valuable pieces we may refer you to a conservator before we frame.
Layout design
The piece itself dictates the layout. A folding fan opens into one specific shape. A textile needs to be supported flat or pleated as it naturally falls. We design the shadow box around how the piece wants to sit — never the other way around.
Reversible, archival mounting
Nothing is glued, stitched through, or pierced. Acid-free backing, hidden archival pins or sleeves where needed, and reversible methods so a future owner can re-frame the piece without damage decades from now.
Conservation glass
UV-protective glass is standard for heirlooms — silk fades fast, paper foxes, dyes shift. Museum glass with anti-reflective coating for the most valuable or visually busy pieces.
Why It Matters
Acid-free, reversible mounting — the heirloom is never glued or pierced
UV-protective conservation glass — slows fading by decades
Custom shadow-box depths for fans, textiles, ceremonial objects, garments
Fabric-covered backing in colors that complement the piece
Period and culturally appropriate moulding choices
Archival sleeves and mounting for documents (immigration papers, ketubahs, bibles)
Conservator referrals for pieces needing restoration before framing
Documentation pocket on the back for provenance and family history
Why Boston Trusts Us
Boston is generations old as a city, and Greater Boston has every cultural community you can name. We've framed heirlooms for families with roots in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India, the Philippines, Ireland, Italy, the Caribbean, West Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East — alongside multi-generational New England families with trousseau pieces and baptism gowns going back to the 1800s. There's no single template for an heirloom, which is why every one of these projects starts with a conversation about the piece itself.
Common Questions
How much does an heirloom shadow box cost?+
Every heirloom is unique, so every frame is custom. Pricing depends on size, the depth of the shadow box, the moulding, the glass, and any conservation work the piece may need before mounting. Bring the piece in and we'll work out the design and pricing together. Walk-ins are always welcome.
Will mounting damage my heirloom?+
No. We use reversible, archival methods — no glue, no stitching through the piece, no piercing. Textiles are supported on acid-free backing; documents are mounted with archival corners or sleeves. The piece can be removed at any future date with no damage.
Can you frame textiles, fans, and three-dimensional pieces?+
Yes — that's the heart of this work. We custom-build shadow boxes at whatever depth is needed for the piece, from a thin folded fan to a full kimono or ceremonial garment. Fabric-covered backing in a color that complements the textile is included.
Do you handle religious or ceremonial pieces (ketubahs, baptism gowns, etc.)?+
Yes. Ketubahs, baptism gowns, prayer cards, religious icons, and similar pieces are common heirloom requests. We frame them with the same conservation respect we'd give a museum piece — acid-free, reversible, UV-protected.
The piece is fragile or aged — should I have it conserved first?+
Sometimes. We'll look at the piece with you. For straightforward heirlooms we can frame as-is with conservation methods that prevent further deterioration. For fragile, foxed, torn, or chemically deteriorating pieces we'll refer you to a paper or textile conservator before framing.
Can you frame the heirloom alongside photographs or documents about its history?+
Absolutely. Pairing the piece with a family photo, the original immigration document, or a handwritten note about its provenance is a meaningful upgrade. We can also include a small documentation pocket on the back of the frame for family history that should travel with the piece.
Will UV glass slow the fading on a silk fan or embroidered piece?+
Yes — significantly. Conservation glass blocks 97%+ of UV rays, which are responsible for most fabric and dye fading. For silk, embroidered pieces, and any dyed textile, conservation or museum glass is the right call.
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Learn MoreReady to Get Started?
Walk in anytime or book a consultation. Bring the piece — we'll design it with you in person and work out the pricing on the spot. We put it in writing before any work begins.
1741 Centre Street, West Roxbury · Free parking · Walk-ins always welcome