About 1790, England (Birmingham).; Cut Steel

An open lyre shaped mount stamp with beadwork with cut and polished facetted steel studs riveted to a steel frame. Rivetted to the back is a flat steel loop for suspension. The lower edge of the frame is fitted with five closed rings. From these have five chains. The links of the chain consist of flat oval plates to which a cut polished facetted steel bead is rivetted. Each chain terminates in an open hook to which is a attached, a steel pencil decorated with mouldings, a steel thimble with horizontal mouldings, a plain unengraved seal, a drum shaped pin-cushion covered in velvet, with steel mounts, and a closed steel loop with steel mounts, and a closed steel loop with steel handle, etched with flowers and a bird.

The chatelaine is likely to have been made at the Soho Manufactory of Matthew Boulton as similar chains are shown on a page from the Boulton and Watt pattern book, now in the Birmingham City Library.

Chatelaines evolved from sets of keys held by the mistress of a castle. They held useful objects like thimbles, buttonhooks and watches, all chained to a single clasp attached to a woman's belt. This example is in cut and facetted steel, an expensive technique used also on buttons and buckles to make them glisten like diamonds.

M.34-1996