Fastener
1750-1799 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Jewellery worn with traditional costume was often used in ways which are not required on modern dress.
This clasp is probably a Brustkettenhalter, or breast chain clasp. It was worn on the bodice, where it secured the end of the silver chain which crisscrossed the front of the bodice, holding it tightly laced like a corset. The delicate pierced silver tracery over a gilded back plate is typical of traditional jewellery from the Ulm area. It was described as 17th century when it was acquired in 1872, but it is more likely to date from the second half of the 18th century. Traditional jewellery was often mistaken for older work, because of its archaic appearance.
This clasp is probably a Brustkettenhalter, or breast chain clasp. It was worn on the bodice, where it secured the end of the silver chain which crisscrossed the front of the bodice, holding it tightly laced like a corset. The delicate pierced silver tracery over a gilded back plate is typical of traditional jewellery from the Ulm area. It was described as 17th century when it was acquired in 1872, but it is more likely to date from the second half of the 18th century. Traditional jewellery was often mistaken for older work, because of its archaic appearance.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver fretwork over gilded silver back plate |
| Brief description | Silver fastener (Brustkettenhalter), partly gilded, Ulm (Germany), 1750-1799. |
| Physical description | Horizontal lozenge-shaped plate of silver, gilded on the front, with the sides cut to match the edges of the appliqué attached to its face. The appliqué is made of silver, cut out in a complex fretwork of ribbon scrolls, with a scallop shell at each corner, and the head of a woman in profile in the centre. It is attached to the back plate by four hooks of wire, one in each corner at the back of the shells. On the back are two long hooks, bent back parallel to each other. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Jewellery worn with traditional costume was often used in ways which are not required on modern dress. This clasp is probably a Brustkettenhalter, or breast chain clasp. It was worn on the bodice, where it secured the end of the silver chain which crisscrossed the front of the bodice, holding it tightly laced like a corset. The delicate pierced silver tracery over a gilded back plate is typical of traditional jewellery from the Ulm area. It was described as 17th century when it was acquired in 1872, but it is more likely to date from the second half of the 18th century. Traditional jewellery was often mistaken for older work, because of its archaic appearance. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 87-1872 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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