The Jaw Dropping Chatelaine & a Note

In doing some research on this last chatelaine, I got a very big surprise. It did not belong to my mother - it is Leslie's! And she has been looking for it for some time!

Way back in 2021 she had given it to me along with the other one that really did belong to our mother, thinking Lisa and I might want to wear them to the Feast. I never realized it was hers - I thought they'd both belonged to our mother. And, I thought she meant me to keep them. (It is not unusual for her to do that - the Ouiatenon Cross and the Merchant's necklace that I wear were both gifts from her.)

Yesterday I'd sent Leslie a photo of the chatelaine and asked what she could tell me about it. Well, she could tell me a lot about its history since it was hers! And soon it will be back in her jewelry box where it belongs.

Here's a look at LESLIE'S jaw dropping chatelaine!

Tarnish was the first thing I noticed when I opened the tissue paper surrounding this third chatelaine. That, and some blue trade beads tucked under the back of it. Blue is Leslie's  favorite color so in retrospect, that was not a surprise.

But the tarnish was. It was on everything - the chains, the accoutrements, as well as the chatelaine itself, and that meant that the entire piece was sterling silver and thus very different from any chatelaine I had ever seen, before or since.

This was one special chatelaine and it was made for Leslie by a very dear friend of hers.

When I gently turned it rightside up, more blue was revealed as well as an unusual chatelaine "face."

Three gargoyles decorate the top of it with a large (and not real) sapphire in the center.

The eyes on the middle gargoyle are real sapphires, but the larger one above them  in the gargoyle's crown is not.

A sterling silver spoon has been used to make the holder that fits over the wearer's petticoat waistband. (Yet another woman now missing her tableware at mealtime!)

The whole piece is stunningly beautiful.

Flowers and swirls decorate the mirror 

and its handle.

The needle case is beautifully decorated, too.

Unlike mine, it still has its top and can actually be used.

A perfume locket similar to mine.

Hers still has the blue silk puff inside.

I love this scissors case so much. It is open at the top so I suppose you could lose your scissors as a result, but is beautifully made.

A small whistle was the last item.

My guess is that a whistle might've been worn as a safety precaution, allowing the woman to alert others that she needed help. (The practice has carried into the 21st century - I've carried whistles and even pepper spray in my purse before.)

Unlike the other two chatelaines, the accoutrements are fastened on very securely. They may not be very pretty, but they are very secure. 

Now that I know this lovely chatelaine belongs to Leslie, I started to make arrangements to return it when we get together for Easter dinner. She surprised me, telling me to hang on to it in case Lisa or I want to wear it. Her reasoning? An 18th century woman would not have worn her chatelaine with a riding habit, and since that is all Les wears at events, she has no immediate need for it. 

So, for now, it is wrapped back up in tissue paper and tucked back in with my 18th century jewelry. When Leslie is ready to have it back, I will return it to her.

Fun to think that, between the two of us, Leslie and I have added a chapter to this chatelaine's history - lost and found! 

NOTE: I love your comments and read and appreciate every one. Unfortunately, under the guise of a blog comment, a gambling site posted an advertisement with a link to its web site yesterday. It has been removed and all comments will be moderated for a while to ensure that that doesn't happen again. I'm sorry that you all have to pay the price for someone else's greed and unethical behavior. Hopefully the moderation will only be for a short time.