<I>Bouquet holder, wire and filigree</I>

ca.1830-1920

Silver filigree vase and handle. The vase of the bouquet holder is made of silver filigree wires extending up from the handle and leveling out at top creating an exaggerated tulip shape. The lip of the vase is jagged with pointed arches where the wires reach the top and twist down. Leaves surround the base of the vase where it meets the handle. Below this foliate border, a short length of chain attaches to a pin. The pin can be inserted through the spaces in the wire. By piercing the stems, this mechanism secured the flowers from falling out of the holder. The spindle handle of the bouquet holder is a straight and elaborately ornamented with scrolling over an intricately textured surface. Each register of the handle is decorated with different floral motifs and trailing vines made by relatively thick wires atop the fine filigree network. The handle is capped with a ball finial to which a second chain for a finger ring might have been attached. This feature would allow the bouquet holder to be worn from the finger or on a chatelaine to free the lady's hands while dancing.