{"title":"Antique Chatelaines","description":"\u003cp\u003eFew pieces of antique jewelry tell a story like a chatelaine. The word comes from the French \u003cem\u003echâtelaine\u003c\/em\u003e — the mistress of a great house, the keeper of its keys. The jewel named for her is a decorative clip or brooch worn at the waist, from which a series of short chains suspends the tools of daily life: keys, a watch, a pencil, a scent bottle, scissors, a needle case, a notebook. Before handbags, the chatelaine was how a woman carried her world — practical, personal, and made to be seen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChatelaines appear in the eighteenth century in gold and cut steel, but the Victorian era was their golden age. As households grew larger and the housekeeper's role with them, the chatelaine became both equipment and status symbol, worked in hallmarked sterling silver with embossed and engraved decoration, or in gold for the lady of the house rather than her staff. By the later nineteenth century the form had stepped beyond the household: fashionable women wore chatelaines as jewelry in their own right, and the attachments grew more decorative — silver propelling pencils, embossed scent and perfume bottles, vinaigrettes, dance-card cases, and tiny mirrors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pieces that survive carry that double life in their details. A chatelaine perfume bottle in 14-karat gold and sterling silver — its cherub design titled \"Ricordo,\" Italian for \"I remember\" — turns a useful object into a keepsake. A sterling silver propelling pencil, made to hang from a chain and write the day's notes, shows the fine engineering of the period's silversmiths. Hallmarks on the clip, the chains, and each attachment record where and when the silver was assayed, and collectors read them the way others read signatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday chatelaines and their attachments are collected in their own right, worn as pendants and brooches, or kept as the small, ingenious machines they are. Royal Regency's chatelaine pieces are researched and hallmark-checked like everything we sell, and our guide, \"What Is a Chatelaine?\", traces the form's history in full for readers who want to go deeper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a chatelaine used for?\u003c\/strong\u003e It holds the small essentials of the day — keys, a watch, a pencil, a scent bottle, scissors — each hanging from its own chain on a clip or brooch worn at the waist, so everything is carried in reach and in order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do people wear a chatelaine today?\u003c\/strong\u003e Attachments such as pencils, scent bottles, and lockets are often worn singly as pendants, complete chatelaines are pinned as brooches or clipped at a belt, and many collectors display them as the decorative objects they are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does \"Ricordo\" mean on a chatelaine bottle?\u003c\/strong\u003e Ricordo is Italian for \"I remember\" or \"remembrance.\" The word appears on sentimental pieces of the period, marking the object as a keepsake — something carried to hold a person or a moment in mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre chatelaine attachments interchangeable?\u003c\/strong\u003e Generally yes: each attachment hangs from a swivel clip or bolt ring, so pencils, bottles, and cases can be moved between chains. Original matched sets are the most prized, and listings at Royal Regency always state exactly which pieces are included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrom Our Archive\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chatelaines below have already been sold through Royal Regency. We keep them here as a record of the pieces we handle — each one researched and hallmark-checked before it was offered, in the same way as everything in this collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_8b1ca339-3ce8-4444-8d1b-48268ffef44e.jpg?v=1787175894\u0026amp;width=900\" alt=\"Victorian 14k gold and sterling silver chatelaine perfume bottle with repoussé cherub clip inscribed Ricordo, in its fitted case\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe “Ricordo” chatelaine scent bottle, Victorian, circa 1860s.\u003c\/strong\u003e Fourteen-karat gold and sterling silver; the repoussé cherub clip holds a cartouche inscribed \u003cem\u003eRicordo\u003c\/em\u003e — Italian for “remembrance” — and the pear-shaped scent bottle hangs from its own fine chain. It passed through our shop in its fitted presentation case by S. J. Shrubsole of London and New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/chatelaine-1894-english-sterling-five-clip.jpg?v=1792511097\u0026amp;width=900\" alt=\"Complete English sterling silver chatelaine dated 1894 with five clips\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA complete English sterling silver chatelaine, 1894.\u003c\/strong\u003e Five clips on a six-and-a-half-inch chain set, made to carry a lady’s daily tools at her waist — the full, working form of the jewel this page is about. Sold through our Whatnot showroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/pencil-mirror-front.webp?v=1791300544\u0026amp;width=900\" alt=\"Antique sterling silver chatelaine propelling pencil with spiral-fluted hand-chased body\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSterling silver chatelaine propelling pencil.\u003c\/strong\u003e Spiral-fluted and hand-chased, telescoping from two and a half inches closed to four inches ready to write, with the oval loop that hung it from the chain. Sold through our Depop shop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/chatelaine-1920s-tango-compact.jpg?v=1792511097\u0026amp;width=900\" alt=\"1920s gold-filled chatelaine tango compact\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA 1920s chatelaine tango compact.\u003c\/strong\u003e Gold-filled and made to hang from a chatelaine chain — the evening companion of its decade, when the chatelaine had long since become jewelry in its own right. Sold through our Whatnot showroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/chatelaine-victorian-watch-fob-chain.jpg?v=1792511098\u0026amp;width=900\" alt=\"Victorian German silver pocket-watch chatelaine and fob chain\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Victorian pocket-watch chatelaine and fob chain.\u003c\/strong\u003e Seventeen inches in German silver — a nickel alloy, silver in color rather than content, and a period staple for watch chains — made to carry a watch at the waist. Sold through our Whatnot showroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/chatelaine-arts-crafts-bar-brooch.jpg?v=1792511097\u0026amp;width=900\" alt=\"Arts and Crafts chatelaine bar brooch\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn Arts \u0026amp; Crafts chatelaine bar brooch.\u003c\/strong\u003e The brooch form of the chatelaine, in the Arts \u0026amp; Crafts style — pinned at the waist or breast, with its attachments hung from the bar. Sold through our Whatnot showroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","products":[{"product_id":"magnificent-victorian-europe-14k-gold-sterling-silver-chatelaine-perfume-scent-bottle-belt-clip-ricordo-cherub","title":"Magnificent Victorian Europe 14k Gold \u0026 Sterling Silver Chatelaine Perfume \/ Scent Bottle Belt Clip — \"Ricordo\" Cherub —","description":"\u003cp\u003eA breathtaking example of Circa 1860s Victorian Europe Goldsmithing at its finest, this extraordinary chatelaine perfume bottle Was So Grand And Exquisite it was set in a museum-worthy Case in 1902 through the legendary \u003cstrong\u003eS.J. Shrubsole Ltd. of London and New York\u003c\/strong\u003e — one of the most respected names in antique silver and jewelry Industry And The Popular Go To For Museums Requiring Custom Cases —  this piece arrives in its fitted presentation box, a rare and significant detail that speaks to its exceptional preservation and provenance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Chatelaine Clip\u003c\/strong\u003e is a tour de force of repoussé and pierced metalwork, featuring a central cherub (putto) holding a cartouche inscribed \u003cstrong\u003e\"RICORDO\"\u003c\/strong\u003e — Italian for \u003cem\u003e\"remembrance\"\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003e\"keepsake\"\u003c\/em\u003e — framed within an elaborate oval surround of star-pierced latticework, scrolling acanthus leaves, and a floral crown. The reverse reveals equally refined open-work construction, confirming the extraordinary skill of its maker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Scent Bottle\u003c\/strong\u003e suspends from a fine link chain and is no less spectacular — a bulbous, pear-shaped vessel adorned with chased scrollwork cartouches, applied rose gold foliate mounts, and a winged angel figure draped across its shoulder. The bottle neck is engraved with a diamond motif and terminates in a decorative stopper. Claw feet anchor the base with characteristic Victorian drama.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of \u003cstrong\u003esterling silver\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003e14k gold\u003c\/strong\u003e in a two-tone palette — with warm rose gold accents playing against the cool silver ground — is quintessentially Victorian in its love of material contrast and romantic symbolism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Victorian, circa 1860–1880\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sterling silver, 14k gold, rose gold accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e S.J. Shrubsole Ltd., London \u0026amp; New York (original fitted box included)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotifs:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cherub\/putto, \"Ricordo\" (remembrance), winged angel, acanthus scrolls, star latticework\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Consistent with age and use; original patina intact; original presentation box included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLength box 9\" x 3.5\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eItem length 7\" x 2\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTotal item weight without box 85 grams\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA singular piece for the serious Victorian jewelry or silver collector.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFree worldwide shipping\u003c\/strong\u003e on this item — no minimum order.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Royal Regency Antique Jewelry","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":71163610693885,"sku":null,"price":3995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0835\/5820\/3645\/files\/victorian-chatelaine-cartier-style-v2.png?v=1788829067"}],"url":"https:\/\/royalregencyjewelry.com\/collections\/chatelaines.oembed","provider":"Royal Regency Antique Jewelry","version":"1.0","type":"link"}