Chatelaine (chain)

Chatelaine (chain)
Chatelaine, 1765-1775 Victoria and Albert Museum no. C.492:1 to 7-1914

Chatelaine is a decorative belt hook or clasp worn at the waist with a series of chains suspended from it. Each chain is mounted with a useful household appendage such as scissors, thimble, watch, key, vinaigrette, household seal, etc.

Chatelaines were worn by many housekeepers in the 19th century. They were also worn by Anglo Saxon women, as seen from the burial record.

The name chatelaine derives from the french term châtelaine used to mean the female owner, or wife of the owner, of a large house. Originally the chatelaine was designed to have all the tools necessary for the woman of the household to sort out any problem she may encounter in her day, like a fraying curtain, however with time the chatelaine and the objects it held evolved from being a purely utilitarian object into a decorative symbol that reflected the status of the wearer.

External links



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chatelaine — Chat e*laine, n. [F. ch[^a]telaine the wife of a castellan, the mistress of a chateau, a chatelaine chain.] An ornamental hook, or brooch worn by a lady at her waist, and having a short chain or chains attached for a watch, keys, trinkets, etc.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chatelaine — Châtelaine (French châtelaine, wife of the lord of a castle) has the following meanings: Châtelaine, a woman who owns or controls a large house (for example, the Chatelaine of Rideau Hall). Chatelaine (chain), a set of short chains on a belt worn …   Wikipedia

  • chatelaine — [shat′ lān΄] n. [Fr châtelaine, fem. of CHATELAIN] 1. a) the mistress of a castle or château b) the mistress of any large household 2. a woman s ornamental chain or clasp, esp. one worn at the waist, with keys or a purse, watch, etc. fastened to… …   English World dictionary

  • chatelaine — /shat l ayn /; Fr. /shahteu len /, n., pl. chatelaines /shat l aynz /; Fr. /shahteu len /. 1. the mistress of a castle. 2. the mistress of an elegant or fashionable household. 3. a hooklike clasp or a chain for suspending keys, trinkets, scissors …   Universalium

  • chatelaine — noun /ˈʃatəˌleɪn/ a) The mistress of a castle or large household. The famous novelist was dressed in a badly fitting sleazy purple dress and a shapeless Napoleonic hat, with gloves and a long chatelaine; but the costume only heightened her air of …   Wiktionary

  • chain — Synonyms and related words: Alps, Andes, Caucasus, Himalayas, Indian file, Kekule formula, Oregon boat, Rockies, accouple, accumulate, accumulative, additive, additory, agglutinate, alps on alps, alternation, amass, anchor, andiron, anklet,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • chatelaine — Synonyms and related words: abbess, anklet, armlet, bangle, beads, bijou, bracelet, breastpin, brooch, captain, castellan, chain, chaplet, charm, chatelain, circle, commandant, commander, coronet, crown, dame, diadem, director, dowager, earring,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • chatelaine — noun (C) 1 formal the female owner, or wife of the owner, of a large country house or castle in France 2 a short thin chain fastened to a woman s belt, used in the past for carrying keys …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • Nose chain — A nose chain is a type of facial jewelry that originated centuries ago as a part of women s fashion in India. It has risen to prevelence as a recent introduction of gothic fashion and is now known for its use in several different subcultures… …   Wikipedia

  • Tie chain — A silver Tie chain A Tie chain is a neckwear controlling device. This accessory is composed of two parts, a durable clip and a chain (typically of gold or silver). The clip attaches to a button on the shirt and when properly worn is covered… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”