Poitou - Charentes

Poitou - Charentes

 

 


local ccostume from Niort - pastel
 

 

 

The silver chatelaine clip

 

The most distinctive piece of jewellery in the Poitou region is the silver chatelaine which women wore on their skirts.  Chatelaines are known as claviers (lou clavié) in Provence, chatelaines in Alsace and crochets in Poitou and the Pays de la Loire. Some authors thought they had identified chatelaines set with rhinestones in Normandy however these are in fact, at least originally before transformation, busquières (see section Normandy). Chatelaines are formed of a length of metal more or less decorated and often engraved and pierced, then bent back on itself with a spatula-shaped segment to hang on the inside of the skirt. They are generally used to suspend a pair of scissors on two chains, sometimes a key and, according to Lionel Bonnemère, a punch used to kill poultry was suspended in Poitou.


There are differences in the shapes of the chatelaines according to the regions. In the south, there is a special type which has at the top a door-knocker shaped ring which opens with a silver screw. This ring was used to hang keys, leaving the chains free for a pair of scissors. There are also chatelaines in the south where the simple chains are split by a separator with a design matching that of the hook. Niort was an important centre of manufacture of chatelaines in the 19th century and there are chatelaines from Niort to be found throughout the southern half of France, most of which were manufactured between 1815 and 1880. Below you will find a selection of the typical designs encountered, for a full description I would recommend the book "Les bijoux traditionnels Poitevins" by Christian Gendron, from which the classifications have been determined. (1) )

 

 

 

Chatelaine clip type A1 - model with whole heart

 


silver châtelaine clip, Poitou

 

         
csilver châtelaine clip, Poitou

 

 

 

Chatelaine clip type A2 - model with whole heart, engraved

 

 

 

         
silver chatelaine clip Poitou
 

 

 

         

silver chatelaine clip Poitou
 

 

 

Chatelaine clip type B2 - model with open-cut heart, engraved

 

 


silver chatelaine clip Poitou
 

 

 


silver chatelaine clip Poitou
 

 

 

    


silver chatelaine clip Poitou
 

 


silver chatelaine clip Poitou
 

 

 


gold plated brass chatelaine clip from Poitou

 

 

Chatelaine clip type C1 - model with cut-out flowered border, engraved

 


silver chatelaine clip Poitou 		 
silver chatelaine clip Poitou

 

 

   
silver chatelaine clip Poitou

 

 


Chatelaine clip type C2 - model with cut-out flowered border, heart shaped cut-out interieur, engraved


 

 


silver chatelaine clip Poitou
silver chatelaine clip Poitou

silver chatelaine clip

 

    

silver chatelaine clip

 

 

 

Chatelaine clip type D - model in the form of a lyre, engraved

 

 

 

 

  

chatelaine clips in form of a lyre, silver

 

chatelaine clip in the form of a lyre, silver

 

 

thirteen silver chatelaine clips in the form of a lyre, all hallmarked at Niort
click of the photo to see it in high resolution

 

 

 

Chatelaine clip type E - model with vase or basket of flowers, engraved

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

chatelaine clips with basket of flowers motifs


 

 


traditional jewellery from Poitou-Charantes region - source Gallica
click to see in high resolution
 

 

 

 

Guimbarde fibule brooch


Silver Guimbarde fibule brooch for fixing a man's neck-kerchief

 

 


how the Guimbarde brooch is used to close a man's shirt (document from 1903)

 

 

         
Silver Guimbarde fibule brooch

 

 

 

 


Silver Guimbarde fibule brooch, 1798-1809

 

 


Silver Guimbarde fibule brooch, 1809-1819

 

 

 

 


brooch from Vendée in silver

 

 

 

Vendée stick pin

 

 


pin from Vendée in silver

 

 

 

Shirt buttons

 


antique silver shirt buttons, hand engraved

 

 

 


antique silver shirt buttons, hand engraved "IL TIEN" (200%)

 


Silver buttons used to close the neck of the shirt, the scallop shell design is very typical of the region


 

         
Silver buttons used to close the neck of the shirt and a pair of cufflinks, Poitou region

 

 


pair of cuff links with traditional scallop design

 

 

 

Men's shirt clasps

 

         
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

     
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

    
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

  
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

 

         
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

         
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

         
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

 

 
men's shirt clasp in silver

 

 

 

Men's overcoat clasp with cut-out star and lozenge motifs

 

         
men's overcoat clasp (half) in cut-out and engraved silver, 1819-1838

 

 

 


two men's overcoat clasps in cut-out and engraved silver

 

 

 

Men's overcoat or cape clasp with cut-out swirl motifs

 

         
men's coat clasp in cut-out and engraved silver,, 1838-1919

 

 

 

Men's overcoat or cape clasp with cut-out flower motifs

 

 

         
silver cape clasp, cut-out and engraved silver, 1819-1838

 

 

        
silver cape clasp, cut-out and engraved silver, 1838-1919

 

 

        
silver cape clasp, cut-out and engraved silver, 1819-1838

 

 

        
silver cape clasp, cut-out and engraved silver, 1838-1819

 


 

 

Women's cape clasp with central flower motif and palmette terminals


silver cape clasp

 

 

    

silver cape clasp

 

 

    
silver cape clasp

 

 

 

Women's cape clasp with central flower motif without palmette terminals

 

                   
silver cape clasp

 

 

 

Cape clasp with facetted decor and central cabochon

 


silver cape clasp

 

 

 

 


coat clasp in pressed silver, facetted and engraved, front

 


poinçon
 

 


cape clasp in pressed silver, facetted and engraved, back view

 

 


cape clasp in pressed silver, facetted and engraved, 19th century

 

Despite having Parisien hallmarks, the above cape clasp can be attributed to the Poitou region because the design is quite distinctive.  Although at first glance similar to the Normandy clasps, those used in Poitou always have a pronounced rosace at the extremities and usually, though not always, one at the top and one at the bottom.

 

 

 

         
coat or cape clasp in cast silver, facetted and engraved, transformed into belt buckle

 

 

 

Coat or cape clasp with facetted decor and central drop-shaped motif

 

         
coat or cape clasp in cut-out silver, facetted and engraved, Poitou, 19th century

 

 

 

Cape clasp type A1 with a central basket motif surounded by a C
garland border festooned with pearls

 


cape clasp, stamped silver

 

 

 

Cape clasp type A2 with a central basket and a C shaped motif
and a godron border

 


cape clasp, stamped silver

 

       
cape clasp, stamped silver

 


cape clasp, stamped silver

 

 

 


cape clasp, stamped silver

 

 

    
 cape clasp, stamped silver

 

 


cape clasp, stamped silver

 

 

 

Cape clasp type A1/A2 with a central basket and a C shaped motif
godron border surrounded by a garland and festooned with pearls

 


silver cape clasp

 

 

 

Cape clasp type B with central palm leaf motif

 

    
cape clasp in stamped silver with palm leaf motif

 

 


small silver cape or overshirt (men's blue smock) clasp

 

 

 

Cape clasp type D with entwined motifs

 

    
cape clasp in stamped silver

 

 

 

Cape clasp type E with sheaf of wheat and crescent

 


silver cape clasp

 


silver cape clasp

 

 

         
silver cape clasp

 

 

Cape clasp type F avec with added border


cape clasp in stamped silver with added soldered border

 

 

 

 

The Poitou flat cross

        

    
flat cross from Poitou with its slide, in engraved gold
according to Michel Yvon, "this cross is also typical to Bordeaux" (to be confirmed)

 

 

 


Shoe and hat buckles from the Poitevin region
 

 

The silver shoe buckles from the Poitou and Vendée region with their motifs of scallops and fleur-de-lys are very characteristic of the region.

 

 

 

Buckle with four scallop design, rounded corners

 

 

              
two silver shoe buckles from Poitou with design of four scallops
 

 

 


silver shoe buckle from Poitou with design of four scallops

 

 

 

Buckle with eight scallop design, sharp corners

 

 

         
shoe buckle from Poitou with design of eight scallops
 

 

 

 

                   
two silver shoe buckles from Poitou with design of eight scallops, made by Quentin Aubineau à Niort

 

 

 


silver hat buckle from Poitou with design of eight scallops

 

 

 

 

           
two silver shoe buckles from Poitou with design of eight scallops

 

 

 

         
two silver shoe buckles from Poitou with design of eight scallops

 

 

 

Buckle with fleur-de-lys design

 


silver hat buckle from Poitou with design of eight fleurs-de-lys

 

 

         
silver shoe buckle from Poitou with design of eight fleurs-de-lys
 

 

 

         
two silver shoe buckles from Poitou with design of eight fleurs-de-lys

 

 

 

                   
three silver shoe buckles from Poitou with design of eight fleurs-de-lys

 

 

 

 


Folk costume from Poitou

 

 


folk costume from the Poitevin region - Lusignan

 

 


folk costume from La Rochelle with silver chatelaine clip

 

 


folk dress from the Poitou region

 

 


folk dress from the Poitou region

 

 


La Rochelle

 

 

(1)  GENDRON, Christian., Les bijoux traditionnels poitevins, Editions Musées Vivants Niort, 1992 

(2)  La tradition en Poitou et Charentes, Libraire de la tradition nationale, 1897

 

 

Contact me with your suggestions, corrections, photos, questions and comments!


 

contents:

Crochet à ciseaux, châtelaine, agrafe de cape, bijoux poitevins, bijoux charentais, bijoux régionaux, bijoux régionaux, les bijoux traditionnels Français, bijoux des regions de France, croix régionale - Les bijoux traditionnels poitevins par Christian Gendron, traditional French jewellery, jewelry, French regional jewellery, croix Jeannette- antieke zeeuwse streeksieraden in zeeland friesland - Brabantse klederdrachten en streeksieraden

 

 

French regional jewellery - Poitou - Charentes

 

New book - Traditional French Jewellery
 

 

Book - Traditional French Jewellery - order here direct from the author

 

 

 

Dear collectors, auctioneers, dealers and jewellery lovers,

You have visited the site www.bijouxregionaux.com which since 2009 has listed all regional and traditional French jewellery, without advertising and without sales. By popular demand, this website is now finally available as a book, much more complete and with many new photos and texts that are not on the site. I traveled more than 4,500 km in 2020 to visit the various collectors and museums of France and to photograph, weigh, measure and examine their jewellery.

Large format of 23.5 x 30 cm, 304 pages, hardcover and fully illustrated with over 1300 jewels in color, this book is the first complete book on French regional jewellery and corrects the many errors and gaps observed in the other references and presents other regional jewels hitherto unknown to the public. You will find eight full pages on Breton pins and fibulae and many other jewels in museums and private collections that are not on this website. Over four months of research has gone into making the chapter on hallmarks the most reliable ever seen - clear illustrations of hallmarks have been made especially for this volume. And for the first time, collectors will have access to a complete list of all the assay office symbols, small signs withn the hallmarks that identify in which city the jewellery was hallmarked. The opening and closing dates since 1798 of the hallmark offices are also listed for the first time, allowing, with the office symbol, to better date your jewellery.

The print run of this book is very limited, which is why I recommend you order early.  You will love this book I have had nothing but compliments and many clients have ordered more to offer as gifts.

To order, you can send a wire transfer or WISE transfer to Michael Fieggen - FR76 4061 8803 9700 0403 3233 171 – BIC – BOUSFRPPXXX - address Mike Fieggen, 280 rue Saint Honoré, Paris, 75001 France

Bank or wire transfer by www.wise.com in Sterling – Account holder - Michael Fieggen
IBAN - GB68TSBS30916200184462    BIC / SWIFT - TSBSGB2AXXX

Sterling cheques and PayPal welcome to address demosthenesparis@gmail.com.

Any questions ?  Contact me at bijouregional@gmail.com or by telephone at + 33 1 4015 9000



One copy in French                               €75                             Postage and packing                  €9 for France, €8 for Europe and overseas

Two or more copies in French              €75 each                    Postage and packing                  €9 for the lot in France, overseas postage €8 each

One or more copies in English             £75 sterling each       Postage and packing                  £8 sterling each

 

 


 

 

 

 
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