Miss Chatelaine

In olden times, ladies didn’t have pockets in their dresses. So the wore chatelaines — a clip or large brooch with chains and hooks to could hold various gew gaws that a woman might need during the course of a day.

The tiny sterling silver repoussé hand mirror pictured above is just one of those gew gaws. By its design, I’m guessing it’s from the Edwardian era. It was probably part of a set with a brooch and a little pen , notepad and viniagrette. Now I feel sort of sad for this orphan. I wish I could reunite it with its family.