<I>Bouquet holder, mirrors with bone handle</I>

ca.1830-1920

Bouquet holder with gilded brass and mirror vase and bone handle. The vase of the bouquet holder is designed with four eighteenth-century style panels, each of which contains a small oval mirror. Sometimes called flirting mirrors, allowed the lady to check her face or spy on what was happening behind her. The mirrors are surrounded by elaborate ‘S' and ‘C' scrolls in gilded brass. The top of the vase incorporates an open design of feather-like motifs and is punctuated with a feather atop each mirror that extends above the lip. A clip on one of the vase panels suggest that this bouquet holder may have been attached to the user's dress. The vase connects to the handle at an ornately decorated bulbous neck band made from two stampings. A flat "O"-shaped ladder chain ending connecting to a floral pin is connected to the base. The pin is meant to be inserted into the vase through a small hole and by piercing the stems of the bouquet would secure the flowers in the holder. The straight handle is made of carved bone. A series of small openings with glass insets are deeply cut into the shaft. The bottom-most opening contains a small likeness of Narragansett Pier behind a magnifier. At one time, the other spaces may have contained other drawings or photographs.