Chatelaine

Gorham Manufacturing Company American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 706


With its eight limbs, the octopus was an ingenious choice for a chatelaine, a belt hook that carried small household items from its chains. Surviving records suggest that Gorham manufactured two octopus chatelaines. At least one of these devices was equipped by the factory with its attachments, including scissors, a knife, a vinaigrette, a tablet, a pin cushion, and a needle case. The back plate is marked with the Gorham trademark and stamped with the date letter for 1887.

Chatelaine, Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, Providence, Rhode Island, 1831–present), Silver, red glass, and black beads, American

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Chatelaine, Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, Providence, Rhode Island, 1831–present), Silver, red glass, and black beads, American
Chatelaine, Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, Providence, Rhode Island, 1831–present), Silver, red glass, and black beads, American

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