The Chatelaine

A piece by Elizabeth Turner, Look Again project Volunteer

Buried in a drawer in the storage room, I stumbled upon our only chatelaine. As a curious assortment of items; they are often under-appreciated as something alien and outdated, but I think the chatelaine deserves another chance.

These objects give a fascinating insight into people’s day-to-day lives and solve the centuries-old problem of keeping the things you need close at hand. By looking at the items associated with chatelaines, it also gives a small insight into which objects were considered most valuable to society through the centuries.

A chatelaine is essentially any waist-hung ornament or container, though the term itself didn’t refer to such an object until 1828. ‘Chatelaine’ was originally a French term that translates approximately to ‘Lady of the castle’ and implied someone responsible for the keys. The gothic imagery the word conjured appealed directly to the Romantic era’s love for all things medieval. Consequently, the name ‘chatelaine’ became attached to the waist-hung ornaments formerly known as ‘equipages’ amongst other titles.

They were worn by all levels of society and by men and women alike and often customised to the wearer’s individual needs and taste. Looking at archaeological records we know chatelaines have been in use in England since at least the Romans. These metal chatelaines were typically associated with toiletries, something that continued well into the 19th century. Chaucer mentions the wearing of small bags and knives hanging from the waist in the Canterbury Tales. There are records of scholars wearing ink bottles, and housemaids carrying keys strung on ribbons. By the late 19th century chatelaines had even become an important part of a nurse’s uniform. In fact, examples of waist-hung objects can be found in almost every culture around the world.

But what does our chatelaine tell us about its anonymous owner? An almost identical chatelaine in the Victoria & Albert Museum suggests that ours was perhaps a more mass-produced variety made in England during the 1730s and 40s. It was also probably created for the middle-class lady who wanted to emulate the new fashion for all things Rococo but in a more affordable way. Both chatelaines feature similar fittings which would have eliminated the choice offered in bespoke options, but these are no poor cousins. The invention of pinchbeck, a form of brass, now brought the look of a high-karat gold to the masses. This warm, bright yellow, gold was both intensely fashionable and easily indulged on chatelaines and watches. Even very expensive, custom, chatelaines were frequently made of pinchbeck or gilt metal.

Our chatelaine also tells us about early Georgian taste, and perhaps more about the intended use of this particular chatelaine.
For such small items, chatelaines of this period demonstrate the early Georgian’s horror vacui. A typically eclectic mix of flora and fauna cover the surface, from rows of scallop shells and putti to swathes of swirling foliate tendrils.

Emerging from unfurling acanthus leaves stands an image of Minerva or Athena on the front of the central etui (a case for needlework items). The goddess is perhaps a reference to the sewing items in the etui and her association with weavers and craftspeople. On the reverse is an equally tiny depiction of Apollo. Both gods are also associated with the nine muses, many of whom represent skills appropriate for a well-healed Georgian lady. The infamous Bluestocking Society who formed in 1750 were often depicted in paintings as the nine muses to accentuate their association with the arts and sciences.

Sadly much of the original contents of the etui have been lost except for a penknife and scissors. Many of the smaller pieces were easily misplaced or subsumed into sewing kits. Ivory aide-memoire notecards, bodkins, pens or pencils, and ear scoops or snuff spoons were all commonly chosen essentials for the lady of the house.

The chatelaine’s closeness to the wearer and the inclusion of useful personal items made them perfect for gift giving too. Waist-hung knives engraved with sentimental messages, known as wedding knives, feature prominently in the 16th century. Such was their significance that the knives feature in both Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the lyrics for Greensleeves.

Similarly, Queen Anne supposedly gave a beautiful gold, diamond, and agate waist-hung etui to her court favourite Abigail Hill shortly after her marriage to Samuel Masham in 1707.

By 1873 a gift suggestion included the following amusing description:

“Mr Thornhill’s speciality is the Norwegian belt for ladies and gentlemen…The lady’s belt naturally has a complete etui; the gentlemen’s belt is fitted with manly accoutrements.”

While there’s no evidence that our chatelaine was a gift, the fact many were tells us a lot about how they were viewed in society.

In 1755 a wealthy Dutch woman named Charlotte Beatrix Strick Van Linschoten had her portrait painted. Like many formal portraits of this era, her wealth and status are evident in her attire. Suspended from her waist are an elaborate gilt fob watch and chatelaine (from the 1750s onwards the two items come as a pair.) The fact that she was comfortable enough being painted in a formal setting wearing such a domestic item highlights how integral chatelaines had become to fashionable dress.

The 20th century saw the slow demise of the chatelaine, and by the 1920s it had almost disappeared completely. Despite this, the chatelaine remains one of the oldest forms of accessory in regular use and tells us so much about people’s everyday lives. In many ways its legacy lives on in the modern world in various forms, from builder’s toolbelts to bum bags, keeping our belongings close by for another 1000 years.