Morning journal and courier., 1889-11-19
THE bracelet In HISTORY.
One of the First Forms OF Human
AdornmeRt.

AdOTun6Aks
From the jewelers. Circular.I
The history of the bracelet is chapter of
the history of coquetry. 1t is one of the most
ancient of Jewels. Amengsthe Israelites the
gold bracelet was used alike by the two SEX
es; when Juda encounters Thamar the latter
asks in exchange of fsvors his staff, his ring,
and his bracelet. When Saul had perished
by his own sword a warrior despoils him OF
the bracelets with which his arms were cover
ed. "For the construction of the tabernacle"
it is said In the Exodus, "both men and wom-
en- offered their jewelry, among which were
quantities of rich bracelets"
The Greeks and Romans also wore brace
let's. After a time the latter abstained from
wearing them daily; they were coferred as q
mark of distinction, as a souvenir of some
great act, and the possessor guarded them
consequently as glorious decorations, and oon-
tented himself with suspending them upon
his breast on days of ceremony and triumph,
in the same manner as General to-day
wears his orders and insignias. In this man
ner the bracelet became the insignia of the
warrior. The plebeian classes, dancing girls,
and others wore them around the wrists and
ankles. The Gauls were also great lovers of
the bracelet. At Pont-Audemer is to be seen
a magnificent gold bijou Of this kind, very
finely worked. It is attributed to the frst
part of the reign of the Merovingians.
At the commencement of the sixth centu-
Ty uO LTdC0 10 kOuuo VI Ga6 1IacVA9o Al
France. A revolution has been effected In
wearing apparel as well as morals. Ladies'
wrists are ornamented with large, colored
silk cuffs, embroidered with gold and pearls.
This fashion ends with the Carlovtngtans.
When was the time that fashions prevailed
longer than one dynastya Later on, ladies
wore tight and buttoned sleeves, terminating
at the wrist; in the twelfth century Jean de
Garlande specifies the works made by gcld-
smiths-hanaps Qarge cups) OF gold and sill
yer, necklaces, pins, knots and rings, but
nothing is said Of bracelets. Finally "man-
aclss'' were used; they were sort of brace.
let composed of piece of stuff upon which
half OF the fourteenth century, the true met
al bracelet appeared. 1t seems that it was
worn by gentlemen, although secretly, ss a
kind Of VOW, badge of ssrvitude which
they pledged to the lady of their thoughts.
The history of Jehan de Saintre, Chamber
lain Of King Charles VI, and of the Lady
des Bellies Cousines, bears witness to this.
When Jehan de Saintre vows eternal fidelity
to his lady she demands of him to CONSTANT
Iy wear an emblem of attachment. ION the
first day of May, which will be tomorrow"
she tells him, "you will place gold bracelet
of some kind or other on your left arm, and
wear it for a year." Next day he comes
with the bracelet which he is to wear, and
| the lady herself puts it on. From about
| called "bracelet."
| From about the middle of the fifteenth
century the bracelet became a distinctive
pieoe Of ornament among the French ladies.
At the time of the "Directoire" the women
who had adopted the fashion of wearing q
robe a la Remaine ornamented their arms
with six bracelets, three on each arm-one
high up, another above the elbow, the third
at the wrist. This is not all, however; they
also wore rings on all their fingers, inolud-
ing the thumb; encircled their waist with
large sheet as belt, and were large hoops in
their ears.
About 1880 bracelets assumed O great inn
portance, and ranked even with literature
and painting; in other words, they became
romantic" Although it may appear rath-
er bofnbastic to assign SO high place to
piece of jewelry, nevertheless, nothing will
| qualify so we'll the artistic tendencies in this
| direction of the goldsmiths of that epoch.
Bracelets appeared on the arms Of ladies,
| composed entirely of pointed arches, In the
! and ward. It is easy to imagine the enthu-
SO we'll in keeping with the tendency of the
people.
At present, finally, the fancy and caprice
Of the day dictate to the jeweler the shape,
either new or copied from former ages, to be
given to their bracelets; sometimes a serpent
| twisting itself around the wrist, gold hoops
with long jewel, chain, &c. The shapes
vary to the infinite at present, and many OF
them are due to the ingenuity of our jewelry
| designs.