Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-30
THE FASHION OF THE BRACELET
An Ornament of Great Antiquity-Its
Many Forms and Uses.

Perhaps the finest pair Of bracelets
in existence were those in the regalia
of the Mogul Emperors Of India. They
were set with diamonds Of unrivaled
beauty and of fabulous worth. In
medieval times before the advent Of
Benvenuto Cellini, bracelets were
simple both in form and design, and
were of little, If any artistic value.
But the graceful elegance Of the trim
kets made by Cellini. and their ex-
auisite workmanship, changed this
forever.
The goldsmiths of the east were
better at this kind of work than those
of the west, says the London Globe,
although of course Italy produced
some splendid jewel workers in the
persons of Ghiberti and Arditi. Taste
in jewelry changes almost as much
as taste in dress, but of late years II
appears that there Is decided liking
for barbaric ornament, and in many
cases it is marvellously becoming.
but, as in all matters of personal
adornment, a very great deal depends
upon the wearer.
1t is rather amusing to read In
book written some fifty years ago that
II was considered fast" for woman
ito wear horseshoes In any form
whatsoever" a somewhat favorite
ARRANGEMENT with the jewellers Of the
time was that of set OF small horse
shoes worked on the outside Of a band
of plain gold. to be worn in the form
Of a bracelet. The writer decries II
thus: "Of all hideous and unmean-
ing SYMBOLS horseshoes are the worst.
They argue, even on quiet girls, GER
tain prediction for initiating their
fast sisters; whereas, such an attach-
ment to the turf as they seem TO I'M
ply is only appropriate TO grass
widows"
It would be hard to find a relic OF
barbarism which has descended TO us
in form less changed than the
bracelet. One of the earliest records
of these trinkets is the Biblical pas
sage. which gives a list Of the orna-
ments which Abraham's servant, Ellie
zer, gave Rebekah as presents from
Isaac. In it two bracelets are men,
toned among other things.
In these very ancient times II was
the custom for men as well as women
to wear bracelets and there Is In the
museum at Leyden bracelet an inch
and a half wide, made of pure gold
and bearing the name or Thothmes
Ill, who lived near 1900 years ago.
For many years it was thought over
effeminate in Rome for women to
h,on
first used among the Romans as re-
ward for valor on the field of battle.
GURUS Dantatus received no fewer
than $50 armlets. which he certainly
could not wear all at once as single
armlet was frequently too heavy to
be carried on the arm with comfort.
When William the Conqueror came
to England he found many OF the
Angles wearing bracelets and In the
Saxon Chronicle Edgar Is spoken OF
as the bestower of bracelets" Gus
tom taken of course from the Ro-
mans. When the Danes made peace
with Alfred they swore fidelity upon
a holy bracelet.
The Scandinavian antiques of the
bronze period have many bracelets
among them. Some were spiral ana
foot or more in length. long enough
to cover the whole forearm and in the
SagaS these are very OIten mentioned.
A very curious bracelet was employ
ed for divination purposes in Iceland.
When there was anything Of impor-
tance to be OWNED. it was placed
upon the altar and the blood of the
victim sprinkled over II.
In some parts of the east women OF
high caste wear huge bracelets, the
object being to prove their noble birth
by making them unable to do work OF
any kind. Savage races delight in all
kinds of weird ornament. but IL must
be a high price to pay for beauty to
wear two large bracelets attached to
the earS-fOr one cannot call them
earrings-and another through the
cartilage Of the nose. But most fire.
uuently they wear mass of hoops on
their arms and legs. and are fairly
content with that.
Before lunatics were confined to
asylums. and when they were allowed
To wander at large over the country
side, they wore an armlet for distinc-
tiOn.
A bracelet was once used to per-
form the marriage ceremony, no 9TH
er article apprOximating ring being
handy. 1t so happened that the
bracelet was the gift OF the bride
groom to his bride.