The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-09
THE HISTORIC BRACELET.
1t is the Most Ancient Of Ornaments
--GG1riOus Facts. :

Among the ~Israelites the bracelet was
used alike by the two sexes; when
Judea encounters Thamar the latter
asks in exchange of favors his staif,
his ring and his bracelet. When Saul
had persisted by his own sword a war
rior despoils him OF the bracelets Win
which his arms are covered. fof
the construction of the Tabernacle,
it is said in the Exodus; both men
and women offered their Jeweiry,
among which were quantities OF rlch
bracelets
The Greeks and Romans also wore
bracelets. After a time the latter ap-
stained from wearing them daily
They were conferred as a mark OF dis
tinction, as a souvenir OF some great
act. and the possessor guarded them
consequently as glorious decorations,
and contented himself with suspend
ing them upon his breast on days
of and triumph, in
the same ann as a General to-
day wears his orders and insigrias. In
this manner the bracelet became d
insignia of the warrior. The plebtan
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 bljou OF
this kind, very finely worked. 1t Is
attributed to the first part OF the
reign of the Merovingians.
At the commencement OF the slAth
century no trace is found OF the
bracelet in France. A revolution has
been effected in wearing apparel as
well as morals. Ladies' wrists are Or
namented with large, colored SIZE
cuffs, embroidered with gold and
pearls. This fashion ends with Jar
iovingians. When was the time that
fashions prevailed longer than one
dynasty? Later on. ladies wore tight
and buttoned sleeves, terminating az
the wrist; in the twelfth century,
Jean de Garlande specifies
the works made by goldsmiths---
hanaps large cups OF gold
and silver, necklaces, pins, Knots nc
rings, but nothing is said OF bracelets.
Finally, ''manacles' were used; they
were a sort of bracelet composed OF q
piece of stuff upon which jewels we're
sewn, until finally, in the last half OF
the fourteenth century, the true metal
bracelet disappeared. 1t seems that
it was worn by gentlemen, although
secretly, as a kind of vow, a badge OF
servitude which they pledged to the
lady of their thoughts.
The history of Jehan de Saintre,
Chamberlain of King Charles vi, and
of the Lady DIES Bellies Cousines bears
witness to this. When Jehan de
Saintre vows eternal fidelity to his
lady, she demands of him to constant
ly wear an emblem of attachment.
.On the first day of May, which will
be tomorrow" she tells him, you will
place a gold bracelet of some kind or
other on your left arm, and wear 1T
for a year, Next day he comes with
the bracelet which he is to wear, and
the lady herself puts it on. From
about that time this piece OF JeWelry
has been called bracelet"
From about the middle OF the 18th
century the bracelet became a dis
tinctive piece of ornament among the
French ladies. At the time of the
Directoire" tine women vino ilad
adopted the fashions of wearing a
robe a la Romano ornalnented 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, including the
thumb; encircled their waists with a
large sheet as belt and wore large
hoops in their ears.
About 1880 bracelets assumed a
great Importance, and ranked even
with literature and painting; in other
words, they became romantic" AL
though it may appear rather bombas-
tic to assign so high a place to a piece
of jewelry, nevertheless, nothing VIII
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 midst of
which ironclad warriors kept watch
and ward. 1t is easy to imagine the
enthusiasm with which they We're re-
ceived, being SO we'll in keeping with
the tendency of the people.
At present, finally, the fancy and
caprice of the day dictate to the jewel
Ter the shape, either new or copied
from former ages, to be given to their
bracelets; sometimes a serpent twist
ing itself around the wrist gold hoops
with a long jewel, a chain etc. The
shapes vary TO the infinite at present,
and many of them are due to the in
genuity of u jewelry designers.
Heels Indicate Intelligence.
Heels are, as they always have been,
indications of the intelligence of the
wearer. Women who know that
health means beauty do not go about
perched on French heels that not
only jeopardise necks and ankles, but
1..--oA - AAl~A. AT