1890 ca. Ivory, Enamel, and Gold Carnet de Bal, or Dance Card. Formerly in the collection of lady Mairi Bury. Ribs are of ivory, numbered front to back from 1 to 24, either end decorated with polychrome enamel with a lotus flower motif, attached by chain to a ring. Maker’s marks, fitted case, Payne and Sons. via Sotheby’s Auctions. sothebys.com
1890-1920 ca. Sterling Silver Chatelaine, England. Center Medallion With Portraits, three drops of monogrammed mesh purse, globe-shaped watch and book-shaped case. Via Augusta Auctions – augusta-auction.com
Definition
What did a chatelaine do?
What were chatelaines used for?
19th Century Late. Sterling Silver Five Piece Writing or Desk Set, Peru (under German Company). Hinged cut crystal inkwell with beveled edges, wheel cut starburst at base, wax seal with blank matrix, blotter, dip pen and letter opener. Each with guilloche enamel featuring yellow rose with lush green leaves on pale blue background, trimmed with a lighter shade of blue enamel. Dip pen with allover pale blue guilloche enamel, pen nib marked 14k Gold Plated.
![19th Century Late SterlingSilverFivePieceWritingorDeskSetPeru_Dippenwithpaleblueguillocheenamel_pennib14kGoldPlatedbatch.jpg ]
19th Century Late. Sterling Silver Five Piece Writing or Desk Set, Peru (under German Company). Hinged cut crystal inkwell with beveled edges, wheel cut starburst at base, wax seal with blank matrix, blotter, dip pen and letter opener. Each with guilloche enamel featuring yellow rose with lush green leaves on pale blue background, trimmed with a lighter shade of blue enamel. Dip pen with allover pale blue guilloche enamel, pen nib marked 14k Gold Plated.](https://suzilove.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/writing_19th_century_late_writing-and-desk-setperu_lge-1_lge_sml.jpg?w=554)
1763 Shagreen Etui Or Necessaire, English. via Gould Antiques ~ gouldantiques.com
Definition Etui Or Necessaire: Small toiletry, writing, or sewing containers carried by ladies and gentlemen in vast castles or large manor houses so their essentials were always on hand. Also used when traveling, where space was always limited. Easily carried in a pocket, or bag or reticule, to use for personal grooming, sewing repairs e.g. ripped hem or missing button, to do embroidery or to write a letter.
Definition Shagreen: Type of rawhide, originally made from the back of a horse or a wild donkey. In the 18th century, the skin of a shark was used as well.
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.
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
19th Century Inkstand, English. Ormolu and tortoiseshell. The type of inkstand that households would have in Bridgerton’s and Jane Austen’s times for writing letters and keeping track of estate matters. Curved, recessed top, two square inkwells of faceted cut glass with round necks and ormolu lids. via 1st Dibs Auctions ~ 1stdibs.com
1810 Sarcophagus Shaped Inkstand, British. Inkstand is made in the shape of a sarcophagus. Ink pots and a tray for the quill. In Jane Austen’s time, young gentlemen went on their “Grand Tour’ to gain education and experience and they sent, or brought back, unique and decorative items to represent their travels. Often, these decorative items were copied by British manufacturers to sell for the home market. via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. mfa.org
