1745-1750 ca. Necessaire, or small decorative box, with watch, probably German. Fitted with sewing and writing implements as well as a watch, this unmarked nécessaire shows delightful chinoiserie decoration in the Rococo style, echoing the work of the influential Munich designer François Cuvilliés (1695–1768). via Metropolitan Museum New York City, U.S.A. metmuseum.org
Small toiletry, writing, or sewing containers were called Necessaire or Etui: Tiny boxes or containers were carried in large castles or sprawling manor houses so a lady or gentleman had their essentials with them all day. They were also important when traveling by coach, trains, or ships where space was always limited. A necessaire or Etui was easily carried in a bag, reticule, or pocket so essentials were on hand for personal grooming, to repair a ripped hem, replace a button, to embroider, or to write a note or letter.
19th Century Rock-Crystal Desk-Seal, Russian. Fluted handle with domed top carved with oak leaves, matrix engraved with Imperial double-headed eagle within collar of Order of St Andrew, on ermine mantle and surmounted by the Imperial crown. via Christie’s Auction Rooms. christies.com. The type of seals that would have been on desks in Jane Austen’s times for sealing and identifying letters.
1807 Two Ladies and a Gentleman, English. Lady in lavender walking dress with fur trim, reticule or bag, fitted bonnet with tassel and yellow gloves. Lady in white evening dress with salmon tunic caught up at one side and evening turban. Man in long blue overcoat with contrasting collar, high white cravat, yellow gloves, tall boots, and top hat. Typical of the sort of outfits ladies and gentlemen in Jane Austen’s times would have worn while out walking, visiting friends or for an evening event, like a dinner party. A long coat, or Redingote or Pelisse for warmth when outdoors, and all matched with the essentials, day or night, of hats and gloves. via Le Beau Monde, or Literary and Fashionable Magazine, London, U.K.
1818 November ‘Fashionables Of 1818’ By George Cruikshank.Couple walk arm-in-arm with the man wearing Dandy costume of bell-shaped top-hat, trousers strapped under high-heeled boots without spurs and jauntily carried cane. Much shorter lady wears enormously high bonnet, striped over-dress over frilled white muslin, skirt above ankles, and carries a large ermine muff. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
These are the sort of outfits a couple would wear in Jane Austen’s times although these are exaggerated in caricatures to poke fun at the extremes of Regency fashion when women’s hats were so large and high that a lady was dwarfed by her devotion to fashion and a gentleman’s collar and neckcloth were so high he couldn’t turn his head to speak to the lady.
1806-1809 ca. Unissued One Pound Banknote. Issued in Alton, Hampshire, UK. The type of currency used by Jane Austen and her brother when dealing with the family’s finances. Issuer Alton Bank. Unissued banknote. (obverse) Emblem with initials, floral design and crown on top at left. Text at centre. Design printed in black. via British Museum.
A pound was a lot of money for the majority of people during the Regency, so the general population didn’t trust flimsy paper banknotes. A metal coin held its value in gold or silver, whereas paper banknotes were easily lost or damaged and very easy to forge. The original banknotes were merely a piece of paper that promised payment for a set amount and were issued by individual banks. The Bank of England used these notes from its inception in 1694 and regional banks continued issuing them until the changes to the Act in 1844. By the mid 1700s, notes started to become standardized, with ten and five pound notes appearing, but as they were all hand-lettered and signed they were viewed with skepticism. Most transactions were therefore done with metal coins, with many shopkeepers routinely biting down on a coin to ensure it was legitimate.
19th Century Leather Travel Trunk, English. #JaneAusten #RegencyEra #travel
The trunk is made of wood and covered with woven canvas. It has leather corners and straps and handles for securing and lifting. The lock plate cover is marked ‘Finnigan’s London’, 18 New Bond Street, London, UK, and there is a Maker’s Brand and a Maker’s Label. There are four removable linen trays with cloth straps and handles. The trunk measures 13 inches high, 20 inches deep, and 36 inches wide.
19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English.
19th Century Leather Trunk English Wood covered with woven canvas1. 19th Century Leather Trunk, English. Wood covered with woven canvas, leather corners, and lock plate cover marked Finnigan’s London. via Live Auctioneers . liveauctioneers.com
Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung to farewell the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 in Scotland, but based on an older Scottish folk song. In 1799, it was set to the traditional tune.
The song begins by posing a rhetorical question: Is it right that old times be forgotten? The answer is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships.[9] Alternatively, “Should” may be understood to mean “if” (expressing the conditional mood) referring to a possible event or situation.
George Thomson‘s Select Songs of Scotland was published in 1799 in which the second verse about greeting and toasting was moved to its present position at the end.[9]
Most common usage of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words “For the sake of” or “And days of”, rather than Burns’s simpler lines. This makes these lines strictly syllabic, with just one note per syllable.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne?
(Chorus) For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne, We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp! And surely I’ll be mine! And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes And pu’d the gowans fine; But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn, Frae mornin’ sun till dine; But seas between us braid hae roar’d Sin auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere! And gie’s a hand o’ thine! And we’ll tak a right guid willy waught, For auld lang syne.
English version
Should old acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, And old lang syne?
(Chorus) For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne, We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! And surely I’ll buy mine! And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
We two have run about the slopes, And picked the daisies fine; But we’ve wandered many a weary foot, Since auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the stream, From morning sun till dine; But seas between us broad have roared Since auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! And we’ll take a right good-will draught, For auld lang syne.
Robert Burns Robert Burns, engraving from A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, 1870.
1800s Silver and Carved Mother of Pearl Writing and Desk Set, French. Wax Seal, Dip Pen and Letter Opener in the style that Jane Austen would have used to write her novels and her letters. via Ruby Lane Antiques. rubylane.com
1750 ca. Spanish colonial ‘escritorio’, or writing desk, Columbia. Bone and mother of pearl inlay, hand etched sgraffito and original hand forged iron hinges. Interior has checkerboard drop front and ten compartments, each with original 18th century drawer pulls. Facade over-layed in mother of pearl with hand etched city-scapes, cathedrals, geometric patterns and foliate motifs. Interior has hand carved and gilt wood columns. Via Live Auctions ~ liveauctioneers.com
1797 Elegant Couple Dancing At A Ball. Man: Bottle green tailcoat, yellow knee breeches, white stockings, red vest and black dancing slippers. Lady: White spotted dress with a pale pink overdress open at the front, high belted waist, red and green turban and a parure, or jewelry set. via Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
