Chatelaine stamp holder

[stracci2000]

I found this sterling postage stamp holder in a consignment shop.
It was once part of a chatelaine, which is a Victorian ladies "tool kit" so to speak, worn at the waist.
I strung it on a chain to wear as a pendant.




Here is how a chatelaine was worn.

 

[glitterata]

That is delightful!

I love chatelaine pieces. I have chatelaine mechanical pencils, perfume bottles/vinaigrettes, needle cases, whistles (although those might actually be watch fobs), pill boxes, pin cushions...I wear them around my neck on a velvet ribbon. I even have a chatelaine, but I don't have much of a waist, so I don't wear it:



(The back, because I always wish people would post back views):

 

[stracci2000]

@glitterata
These are so beautiful and interesting!
I love that Japanese aesthetic design on your piece!
Perhaps you could share photos of your pieces!

I have this cut steel chain that I found in a thrift shop. 16"
I always had a feeling that it was part of a chatelaine. I've seen cut steel chatelaines in antique shops.
Someone attached an old style spring ring clasp on it. What do you think?

 

[glitterata]

@glitterata
These are so beautiful and interesting!
Perhaps you could share photos of your pieces!

I have this cut steel chain that I found in a thrift shop. 16"
I always had a feeling that it was part of a chatelaine. I've seen cut steel chatelaines in antique shops.
Someone attached an old style spring ring clasp on it. What do you think?

My guess is that that was a watch chain. I LOVE it!!

I'll have to hunt down photos of my chatelaine pieces (or hunt down the pieces and take pictures)--I don't have them all in the same place. But for now, here is the chatelaine with the perfume flask or vinaigrette that came with it. The flask has a mechanical top that seems to be missing a piece, and I can't figure out how it works.



Another chatelaine perfume flask:



Two more flasks, in the shape of a ram's horn (a traditional form for snuff bottles in Scotland, I believe, but these are American perfume/vinaigrettes). Not sure if these are for a chatelaine, or if you would wear the ring on a finger. I bought the first one and then found the second for an irresistible price, so now I have a pair.

 

[stracci2000]

My guess is that's that was a watch chain. I LOVE it!!

I'll have to hunt down photos of my chatelaine pieces (or hunt down the pieces and take pictures)--I don't have them all in the same place. But for now, here is the chatelaine with the perfume flask or vinaigrette that came with it. The flask has a mechanical top that seems to be missing a piece, and I can't figure out how it works.



Another chatelaine perfume flask:



Two more flasks, in the shape of a ram's horn (a traditional form for snuff bottles in Scotland, I believe, but these are American perfume/vinaigrettes). Not sure if these are for a chatelaine, or if you would wear the ring on a finger. I bought the first one and then found the second for an irresistible price, so now I have a pair.

I love all this. Those Victorians were nutty about specialized utilitarian items like fish forks and asparagus servers!

The vinaigrettes are wonderful. I wish I could find one around here. I think the rams horns are for the finger. And how lucky for you to have a pair!

 

[LilAlex]

Too small for matches? Definitely stamps?

I so need one of these -- house keys, car key, work badges, wallet, ring or two, EDC knife, watch, phone...

Would also be super-convenient at TSA.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

That is delightful!

I love chatelaine pieces. I have chatelaine mechanical pencils, perfume bottles/vinaigrettes, needle cases, whistles (although those might actually be watch fobs), pill boxes, pin cushions...I wear them around my neck on a velvet ribbon. I even have a chatelaine, but I don't have much of a waist, so I don't wear it:



(The back, because I always wish people would post back views):

top marks for how you display it
beautiful
i love how the Victorian ladies made functional beautiful

 

[Pomelo]

This is delightful and thanks for opening my eyes to chatelaines - didn’t know what they were!

Would love to see modelling shots of how you wear these pieces @stracci2000 and @glitterata

 

[Catmom]

So very cool! I'm furiously thinking on what you could put in there other than stamps. @glitterata your pieces always amaze me.

 

[stracci2000]

So very cool! I'm furiously thinking on what you could put in there other than stamps. @glitterata your pieces always amaze me.

Catnip

 

[glitterata]

Would love to see modelling shots of how you wear these pieces

Well, I mostly wear the chatelaine itself in a box in a drawer! Ladies clipped them to their belts or waistbands, but I've never been especially eager to draw attention to my waist. I'll leave it to you nipped-waisted ladies to bring chatelaines back into style.

I wear the other items on velvet ribbons or silver chains around my neck. I'll take a photo next time I wear one.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of quick-and-dirty photos of what's probably my favorite chatelaine item to wear. It's a silver mechanical pencil, American, probably from the late 19th century. (I should check to see if it has a patent number on it that I can use to date it--they sometimes do.) The mechanism is wonderful--it starts out very compact, but when you pull the top end up, the whole thing expands to become long enough to hold and write with comfortably. Back in the days when my job involved a lot of writing on paper with pencils, I wore it pretty often. Nowadays I mostly mark things up on the computer, so I don't wear it as much.

 

[Catmom]

I could use one when I'm sewing and clip on scissors, seam rippers, etc.

 

[glitterata]

I could use one when I'm sewing and clip on scissors, seam rippers, etc.

Sewing tools were popular chatelaine items! There are lots of scissors, pin cushions, needle cases, etc. out there if you look.