Greetings, my Faithful Readers!
This week's Links subject is Chatelaines (the jewelry-and-keychain variety)
and brooches. Imagine what sort of confusion you'd find if you were using a
search engine and entered the words "medieval" and "chatelaine". I'm sure
you'll all be relieved to know that the future of the SCA is secure in that
wonderful office we call Chatelaine; however, this links list is about
medieval jewelry, not newcomers. Specifically, the type of jewelry that
holds your clothes together, that carries your needle case, mini-snips, etc.
and the sort you pin to your shirt for decoration. Surprisingly, in doing
this research I learned that the pin chatelaine dates to Roman times, and
that nearly every one of us medieval females who claim to run a house should
have one of simpler or more complex design, depending upon the date of our
personae. Apparently, earlier on men also wore them (sometimes to carry a
dagger as well as keys), and a chatelaine was a perfect wedding present, the
token of a man's trust in his new wife.
If you enjoy these Links, please pass them along where they will be
appreciated.
Cheers, Aoife
A Visual and Historical Perspective on "Purses"and "Evening Bags"
the Ever Adaptable Fashion Accessory
by Rita Vainius
http://www.caron-net.com/jan99files/jan99fea.html
(Site Excerpt) Though this purse made by Martina Weber, is not old, it is
typical of the type used by the lady of the house many centuries ago. From
left to right, it includes a silk Bargello needle holder, a replica of a
pewter needle case, a dololly (an accessory to pull the last piece of thread
through stitches on the back. Also part of the dololly is a heart pin with a
wire loop), a pair of scissors in a pewter case, a silver butterfly
pincushion attached to a square brooch, a silver and red velvet charm, an
Austrian wear-at-the-belt purse made of metal and an "Emery" strawberry made
of red felt containing powder for sharpening and cleaning needles and pins.
Prym-Dritz notions:
Elizabeth's Vintage Notions
Chatelaine and additions
http://www.dritz.com/brands/showcase/index.php?BRAND_ID=29&SUBCAT_ID=146
Roman Chatelaine Brooch--extant article
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/freemansmith/roman.htm
First Massachusetts Cavalry
http://hometown.aol.com/firstmacav/Ladies.html
(See section abut Chatelaines. Site Excerpt) From the old feudal system and
on into the early 20th century, the chatelaine, French for "mistress of the
castle," was the most important accessory the lady of the house could carry
with her in her daily life. The first use of a chatelaine can be traced to
Roman times when keys hanging from the waist were a symbol of authority.
Jailers often wore keys attached to the girdle of a stout leather belt. The
chatelaine was actually first used by the man of the house to carry various
tools, from a dagger to keys for the larder where precious meat was stored.
In medieval times, a chatelaine became a common wedding present from the
husband to his new bride containing the keys to her new home. Early
chatelaines were made of steel, and later of finely cast silver or forged
brass, and sometimes embellished with fine gemstones. They were suspended by
a top chain from a notch or ring in a lady's belt or apron and had several
pendant chains ending with hook or clip fasteners, called fittings, to hold
the necessary accessories.
Medieval Brooches
http://www.time-line.co.uk/erol.html ...(very long URL)
Photos of extant articles for sale
Medieval Brooch project (Polymer Clay)
Adobe Acrobat required to read
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/0202feb/brooch.pdf
While this site is copy-protected, the project is a credible replica or the
original, which is shown.
Bristol City Council: Medieval Ring Brooch
http://www.bristol-city.gov.uk/Fuguri/frame.html?B+BLM01409+BG+F+CMM00101+DCL00105+BLM00105+BLM00410
British Museum: Fuller Brooch
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/newsroom/archive2001/celtic.html
British Museum Shop: Medieval-style brooch, a bargain at £10.00
http://www.britishmuseum.co.uk/product.asp?cat=76&product=962
Kingston Down (Liverpool) Medieval Brooch
http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ujg/fibula18.jpg
Knockcast brooch, National Museum of Ireland
(scroll down to view)
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/show_narrative_page_by_place.do?page_id=2107
(Site Excerpt) This brooch may be seen as a more modest example of the
larger and more ornate pseudo-penannular brooches of this period and like
them, it did not function as a locking device. The broad ring areas of both
brooch types seem to have been intended as fields for decoration rather than
the functional role of the zoomorphic penannular brooches of the seventh
century.
Tara Brooch
http://www.unc.edu/celtic/catalogue/brooches/tara.html
(Site Excerpt) Although given the name the Tara Brooch, this Irish national
treasure was not found at Tara, but was found at Bettystown, County Meath.
The discovery at Bettystown resulted from the collapsing of cliffs due to
wave erosion. A jeweler who studied the brooch is credited with the
misnomer. Given the exquisite nature of the brooch it is not surprising
that it was thought to come from Tara, since Tara was the official residence
of the High kings of ancient Ireland.
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