chat·e·laine Pronunciation: \ˈsha-tə-ˌlān\
Function: noun
Etymology: French châtelaine, feminine of châtelain
Date: 1845
Chatelaines date back to the Middle Ages. The name comes from a French term for the "mistress of a castle, chateau or large establishment." A Chatelaine is an ornamental clasp or hook from which chains are hung that hold a watch, purse, keys, scissors, thimble case, etc. Modern sewers not only enjoy using these finely crafted tools, they appreciate not having to spend time looking for their scissors while working. The chatelaine was the forerunner of the modern-day purse, but lost favor when the lives of women grew more complex.
From medieval times to the early 20th century, women kept essential items such as keys close at hand on their "chatelaines." These precursors to purses hung from belts and featured long chains with hooked ends to clutch accoutrements. But when women started working full-time outside the home, cloth handbags--with straps instead of chains and plenty of room for cosmetics and sunglasses--made chatelaines became less and less popular.
Used by both men and women and usually fastened to belt or pocket with chains bearing hooks on which to hang small articles such as watches, keys, seals, writing tablets, scissors, and purses. The word chatelaine is derived from a word meaning the keeper of a castle, thus the person entrusted with the keys. During the 18th century, chatelaines were particularly popular. The finest were made of gold, the cheaper ones of a yellow alloy were named pinchbeck after the inventor of the material.
Some chatelaines were decorated with repousse or enamel and depicted biblical, mythological, or genre scenes. Others were inlaid with agate, and toward the end of the 18 century, some were adorned with cameos in a pseudo classical style. The most luxurious were decorated with precious gems, especially diamonds. A fine example of a diamond and gold chatelaine is that made in 1776 by the French Jeweler Francois Fistaine for Queen Caroline Mathilda of Denmark.
The chatelaine is a piece of jewelry that was widely used on which together with the watchcase, goldsmiths lavished some of their most refined work. The chatelaine was a pendant made of jointed embossed gold components of different shapes and sizes with scenes and designs in elaborate frames. If was fastened by means of a hook to a belt or waistcoat pocket, and from its protruding points hung chains of various lengths on which men fastened their watches, the keys for winding them, and other accessories. The women used chatelaines to carry keys, scissors, and other more or less useful objects.
For years, ladies wore necessary and useful implements clasped to the waist of their dresses because clothing was not made with pockets for carrying such items. They were usually worn suspended from a clip or large brooch with chains and hooks to hold the various implements, although later chatelaines could be worn on a finger ring. Fashioned of both precious and non-precious metals, they could be extremely simple or ornamented with embossed work, pierced work and gem stones. They were fashioned in a wide variety of materials: gold, sterling, gold wash, cut steel and enameled and jeweled. Chatelaines might be comprised of items all used for one task...sewing, for instance... or combined with various items that suited the wearer.
Some were matching sets like the cut steel chatelaines and others were compiled over time by the owner, especially the sterling chatelaines. Belt chatelaines or waist hooks were also used to hold a purse. Most fashionable from about 1870 to World War I, they remain popular with collectors today. Lorgnettes were made in a wide variety of materials: sterling, karat gold, gold wash, tortoise, ivory, mother-of-pearl and lovely enameling and gem stones. Those with a strong design sense (for example Art Nouveau or Arts & Crafts) are most desirable. Some collectors have their own prescription mounted into an old lorgnette so that they are actually useable.
As the precursor of the modern handbag it was a device with a hook that was fastened to the belt or waistband and from which were suspended a variety of useful items, often including a watch. The form has existed in various configurations since the early Bronze Age (2100--1000 B.C.). Until 1828 these objects were known as equipages (French for equipment). However, in modern terminology all forms are called chatelaines whether made before or after that date.
In the sixteenth century, chatelaines included a variety of attachments such as keys, knives, pouches, rosaries, pomanders, books of hours, and mirrors. At that time a watch was worn separately, usually hanging from a chain around the neck. In the next century ladies started wearing their watches at their waist, looped over their belt with a chain.
During the eighteenth century fashionable accessories became an important complement to a lady's attire. In addition to the chatelaine, a fan and a snuffbox were among the bibelots often carried by members of society. The watch was now suspended from a simple chain, a chain with a swivel, or a chatelaine with a large decorative plaque from which hung smaller plaques. The watch hung from the center of the large plaque flanked by a watch key for winding it, a seal with an engraved crest, or other trinkets. Women favored these watch chatelaines while men preferred fobs by which to pull the watch from the pocket. The trinkets were attached to the exposed end of the fob.
