The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-01-15
BRAcEl ETs IN HISTORY.
one OF Tho First and Most Popular Form
OF Human Adjournment


One of tho First and SIost po,,,ar Form,
OF Human Adornment.
Inc history of the bracelet is chap
,, Yer OF the history of coquetry. 1t is on,
OF the most ancient of jewels. Anon.
the lsraelites the gold bracelet was uset
alike by the two sexes; when Juda en-
counters Thamar tho latter asks in ex
change of fayors his staff, his ring ant
MS bracelet. When Saul had persisted
py MS own sword warrior dispoils him
ol Inc bracelets with which his arms
We're covered. "For the construction Of
inc tabernacle" it is said in Exodus
DOTH men and women offered their Jew.
cry among which were quantities OF
rich bracelets"
Inc Greeks and Romans also wore
bacelets. After time the latter alb.
stained from wearing them daily; thew
were conferred as mark of distinction.
as a souvenir of some great act, and the
possessor guarded them consequently as
| glorious decorations, and contented him.
! sell with suspending them upon his
breast on days of ceremony and tri-
umph, in the same manner as a General
to-day wears his orders and insienias.
In TINS manner the bracelet became the
insignia OF the warrior. The plebeian
glasses, dancing igirls and others, wore
u, 1nem around the wrists and ankles.
Inc Gauls were also great lovers of the
bracelet. At Pont-Audemer is to be
seen magnificent gold biiou of this
Kind very finely worked. 1t is attrib-
uted to the first part of the reign of tho
Merovingians.
AT the commencement of tho sixth
century no trace is found of the bracelet
IN France. A revolution has been
e1ected in wearing apparel as well as in
morals. Ladies' wrists are ornamented
Win large, colored silk cuffs, EN-.
broidered with gold and pearls. This
fashion ends with the Carlovineians.
when was the timc that fashions pre-
vailed longer than one dynasty? Later
On, ladies Wore tight and buttoned
sleeves, terminating at the wrist; in the
twelfth century, Jean de Garland speci-
mes the works made by goldsmiths-
hanaps Qarge cups) of gold and silver,
necklaces, pins, knots and rings, but
nothing is said of bracelets. FINALLY,
manacles' were used; they were sort
Oh bracelet composed of a piece of stuff
upon which jewels were sewn, until
finally, in the last half of the fourteenth
century, the true metal bracelet ap-
peared. 1t seems that it was worn bv
gentlemen, although secretly, as kind
II VOW, badge of servitude which thew
pledged to the lady of their thoughts.
The history OF Jehan de Saintre,
chamberlain of King Charles vi, and
i the Lady DIES Bellies Cousines bears
witness to this. When Jehan de Saintre
ows eternal fidelity to his lady, she de-
lands OF him to constantly wear an
mblem of attachments. s'On the first
ay OF May, which will be tomorrow,
he tells him, "you will place o gold {
racelet OF some kind or other on your G
1T arm, and wear it for a year." Next 7
ay he comes with the bracelet which b
is to wear, and the lady herself puts il
on. From about that time this piece n
]eWelry has been called bracelet" Il
From about the middle of the fifteenth
injury the bracelet became distinctive d
zee OF ornament among the French 81
dies. At the time of the 'Directoire, o.
@ women who had adopted the fashion a.
wearing a robe la Romano orna. 81
ented their arms with six bracelets, ..
rec On each arm-one high up, an IN
her above the elbow, the third at the III
list. This is not all, however; they W
80 wore rings on all their fingers, in ~
lding the thumb; encircled their waist W
tn largo sheet as a bslt and wore nc
'ge hoops in their ears. III
About 1880 bracelets assumed great W
portance, and ranked even with liter. III
re and painting; in other words, thew ol'
came romantic" Although it NAV NY
pear rather bombastic to assign so "
h place to piece of jewelry, never si'
less, nothing will qualify so we'll org
artistic tendencies in this direction Nv
the goldsmiths of that epoch. Brace n ne
appeared on the arms of ladies, oe'
lposed entirely of pointed arches, in s'o
midst of which ironclad warriors vi.
It watch and ward. It's easy to i'm. s @o
ne the enthusiasm with which thew LII
e received, being so we'll in keeping 'n. =
the tendency of the people. =
t present, finally, the fancy and t ~.
ice of the day dictate to the jeweler 49,. .u.'
shape, either new or copied from p l%s
Ter ages, to be given to the bracelets: t LA
etimes serpent twisting itself -; ns'
Ind the wrist, gold hoops with long n,s;
u, chain, etc. The Shapes vary to ,a -.
infinite at present, and many OF a W.
n are due to the ingenuity of our uau'
Try designs.-Jewelers' Circular. - .'0'