Well-to-do
Victorian women loved to wear matching slide bracelets with bead-tipped foxtail
chain tassels - one on each wrist. Women’s dresses were trimmed with abundant
amount of fringe in the 1870s and these bracelets coordinated beautifully.
They were designed
in a similar fashion to the garter but because Queen Victoria
was far too modest to wear one on her thigh, she had them made as bracelets!
What an icon
of Style she was!
These gorgeous Antique Victorian Slide Bracelets are extremely RARE being
a TWIN PAIR for babies/girls – often they became separated form their partner.
They are designed identically so each one can clip into the other to be worn as
one large bracelet. Please check the pictures for how this works.
The actual slide is oval shaped and features a Black Enamel
floral and foliate design, the technique of which is referred to as t’aille d’epargne or black enamel
tracery. It is an enamel technique whereby an etched design is filled with
powdered enamel then fired in a kiln. The richly stippled background adds
further depth with the contrast of smooth, shiny & textured finishes. It
really is amazing - I just hope my pictures do them some justice.
The bracelet is formed of solid rings in a mesh formation. The
end of the bracelet features a capping which house all the original 5 herringbone
chain tassels (none are missing) with bead tipping – Amazing given some are
usually lost or damaged if they are in place at all! The slide is designed as
such that it can be moved along with the mesh sliding through smoothly. This
allows each bracelet to be sized correctly for wearing snug on the wrist.
COLOUR
They have an old yellow
gold hue with subtle rose highlights to the slides. They have the silky
smooth feel usually only associated with solid carat gold and expected of
quality antique/vintage jewellery.
HISTORY &
MARKS
Era: mid-Victorian c1871/1872
Patent Dates: the back of each slide is stamped Nov 7 71
for 1871 and June
25 72 for 1872
Maker: Unknown but possibly Walter E. Hayward Company established as early as 1851
Material: Gold Filled - unmarked
Gold Purity: Outer surfaces test positive for 12 carat gold
MEASURES
Sizing: Will fit any sized wrist as it is resizable
Length: from
end of mesh to bead tips 13.3cm/5.25”
Circumference: 9.3cm
internally for one & 20.5cm/8.2” with both connected at largest sizing
Width: Links 6.3cm or ¼”
Slide: 1.65cm by 1.3cm
Weight: 14 grams in
total
OVERALL
Better-than-Excellent
Antique condition! There is very little wear and that is to the
underside. There is no damage or repairs evident, there is nothing that
detracts from this Rare Pair’s Beauty. It is clear they have been used very
little and one slightly more so than the other. It is Extremely RARE
to find such a beautiful pair of bracelets from the mid-Victorian in Original
and Intact condition. At around 140 years of age, they are Museum Quality and
would make a welcome addition to any Antique Heirloom collection. Perfect as a
Wedding or Christening Gift which could be worn by a baby daughter, then passed
on through the family.
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