Chats on Household Curios Part 14

The collector rarely troubles about attempting to solve matters of dispute, and cares little to enter into argumentative discussions in reference to the supposed purposes of the curios he collects, or the different uses with which they have been a.s.sociated. He does not inquire too deeply into the faiths and beliefs which may have been held and revered by his ancestors when he puts in his cabinet some curiosity which may have been regarded almost with reverential feelings and handled with superst.i.tious regard by its original possessor. The more thoughtful man does, however, pay some tribute to their early a.s.sociations. Our museums are filled with such relics, with delightfully carved reliquaries, triptychs, and marvellously carved beads which in their religious use as rosaries have been looked upon as something more than mere specimens of the carver's art. There are mysteries in beliefs which have been held dear in the past which are not understood by succeeding generations.

It is difficult to understand in the present day the deep-seated faith in amulets and charms, which were thought to have brought about what would now be regarded as curious coincidences, or to place reliance upon the babbling utterances of some old crone who posed as a witch or a fortune-teller. Yet among such old-world stories there are germs of truth although misapplied. The emblems, amulets, and charms so implicitly believed in a few centuries ago are objects numbered among collectable curios, valued even in this prosaic age not only for their intrinsic worth and antiquarian interest, but for the so-called magic influences they were supposed to possess.

There is something more understandable about love tokens, for we can tell their purpose, and indeed to-day, stripped of the charm which was often supposed to go with them, love tokens are given, received, and valued just as much as they were in the past.

Amulets.

The amulet, which in its realistic form is regarded as an antiquity to be preserved with care, was usually regarded either as a charm against disease, accident, or misfortune, or as something the possession of which would bring good luck. The efficacy of amulets was believed in by the most cultured and scientific peoples in the past, for it was an article of belief in Egypt and Chaldea. The Jews had regard for their phylacteries, and the Greeks and Romans had their amulets. The image of Thor was an amulet peculiar to the old Nors.e.m.e.n; and in Britain we have had many examples.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 84.--COLLECTION OF HARNESS AMULETS AND TEAM BELLS.

(_In the possession of Mr. Charles Wayte, of Edenbridge._)]

Although not necessarily objects to be worn, no doubt charms usually took the form of something which could be suspended, for the origin of the word coming to us through the Latin has been traced to an Arabic word, signifying a pendant. In the early Christian Church the fish was worn as a symbol or charm, and in many parts of rural England to-day amulets are kept, and even charms, as preventives against disease. Men and women buy so-called amulets from the jewellers' shops at the present time, and wear them on their watch chains or bangles, and round their necks; but the faith reposed in such charms by the educated cla.s.ses in this country may be dismissed as a myth, for few really understand their true significance, or place any real reliance upon such fanciful relics of a former age--an age of superst.i.tion, when people blindly clutched at any mysterious protective power or emblem.

Horse Trappings.

Among the commoner emblems of good luck handed down from the far-off past, are the bra.s.s amulets worn on horse trappings even to-day. A set of bra.s.ses consists of a face bra.s.s, taking chief place of prominence on the horse's forehead; two ear bra.s.ses, which are seen behind the ears; ten martingale bra.s.ses, worn on the breast; and three bra.s.ses suspended from straps on each of the shoulders. These amulets were primarily worn to keep off the "evil eye," and thus protect the horse and its rider or its owner from calamity and harm. The bra.s.ses were varied in design, some of the more important being developments of the crescent moon.

Some were made to imitate the sun with its pointed rays, others the Catherine wheel; the Kentish horse, too, a relic of Saxon days, has been frequently used, and there is the lotus flower of Egyptian origin. There are Moorish and Buddhist symbols, and many curious developments which have gone far astray from their original types. The agriculturist is still superst.i.tious, and does not like to lessen the number of these somewhat weighty bra.s.ses suspended from his horse trappings. For purposes of utility they are useless; they remain, however, a connecting link with the superst.i.tions of the past, and a collection of such curious objects is of extreme interest. In Fig. 84 is shown an exceptionally fine collection got together by Mr. Wayte, of Edenbridge, who collects many such things.

Emblems of Luck.

There seems to be a distinctive difference between the amulets which were protectors against harm and those which are emblems of good fortune. Perhaps hovering between the two may be cla.s.sed such curios as those which tradition has held to be a preservative of luck, like "the Luck of Eden Hall," that wonderful goblet preserved with such great care in its charming case of _cour boulli_. In this category are the numerous gifts from friend to friend having no special emblematic value, but which were frequently handed over with such sayings as: "I give you this for luck," and "May good luck go with you." The wish and implied virtue in the charm has about as much value in it as the wish playfully and unbelievingly uttered by the twentieth-century maiden at the wishing well to-day.

There is still, however, an undeniable lingering belief in the mysterious value in the possession of an emblem of luck, one of the best known and commonly used to-day being the horseshoe, preferably, according to old tradition, a cast shoe found and nailed up over the doorway or in some prominent place. It is generally believed that the horseshoe carries with it good luck on account of its form, which resembles the crescent moon, a notorious symbol in the days of the Crusaders, already referred to as being an important feature in the amulets or charms on horse trappings--such is the curious mixture of scepticism and superst.i.tious faith met with to-day!

Lovespoons.

The collection of Welsh lovespoons in the National Museum of Wales, several of which are ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 85, is quite unique. Dr. Hoyle, the Director of the Museum, in his admirable description of the case in which these pretty little objects are shown, explains that they are arranged to show the evolution of the lovespoon from the normal spoon.

Such lovespoons might, a few years ago, have been seen in many Welsh homes, where they hung as things of ornament and sentiment, for it is said they were given in "spooning" days to the girl of his choice by the lover. The handle is of course the appropriate field of decoration, the double bowl being symbolic of "We two are one." The dated spoons were mostly made in the middle of the eighteenth century.

Gla.s.s Curios.

Some of the most pleasing love tokens are those made at Nailsea in Somerset, and in Sunderland. The commoner kinds, chiefly made at the latter place, were known as sailors' love tokens. They took the form of rolling-pins, which were evidently intended for ornament and not for use. A bow of ribbon was tied round the end of the pin by which the roller could be hung up. These gla.s.s rolling-pins were covered over with sentimental mottoes, generally accompanied by a ship, a typical feature of the decorations commonly used. Some of these little mementoes given away by sailors were of white semi-opaque gla.s.s, others were brilliantly coloured.

Nailsea gla.s.s works were noted for the Italian influence shown in the colour effects produced in them. Among other objects made at those famous gla.s.s works were flasks and bottles for wines and spirits in greens, browns, and blues, to which were added in smaller quant.i.ties red and yellow. Other trinkets of an ornamental character were gla.s.s tobacco pipes, bells, and coach horns. There were also Nailsea walking sticks made of twisted gla.s.s, and many curious cups. Most of these were given for luck, especially as love tokens when sailors were about to set out on a voyage, the superst.i.tion attached to the gift being that if the gla.s.s pin were broken it was a sign that the vessel in which the giver had sailed had been wrecked. Hence it was that a ribbon was securely attached, and the gift hung up out of harm's reach.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 85.--OLD WELSH LOVE SPOONS.

(_In the National Museum of Wales._)]

In a.s.sociation with gla.s.s rolling-pins and other love tokens there are many sundry curios which from the mottoes upon them were evidently given with a similar purpose. Even objects of metal and bra.s.s were frequently inscribed with loving reminders of the donor. The pleasing little trinket and patch boxes of enamels and gla.s.s, referred to in another chapter, were given from sentimental motives as evidenced by their inscriptions. Covers of pocket books and tobacco pouches were covered over with similar legends, like a delightful beadwork tobacco pouch in the Taunton Castle Museum, on which is the motto or sentiment, "LOVE ME FOR I AM THINE, 1631," wrought by a seventeenth-century needleworker.

Similar mottoes are found on the little pincushions formerly carried in the capacious pockets of women of olden time, sometimes wrought in needlework and at others in beads.

XIV

THE MARKING OF TIME

CHAPTER XIV

THE MARKING OF TIME

Clocks--Watches--Watch keys--Watch stands.

The early marking of time was simple enough, for we are told that the Arabs, by driving a spear or a staff into the sand of the desert, told the time of day. The shadow of the sun roughly gave those who were familiar with astronomy the lay of the land and the time, approximately.

When the dial and the gnomon were understood, dialling became a popular science, and ere long the sundial on the church tower, in a public place, or in a private garden, told the time. Then came the marking of time by pocket dials--an advance which foreshadowed the watch which was to come.

The pocket dial was soon followed by mechanical clocks, the clock watch, and the more delicate work of the watchmaker. The watch has become more accurate in its marking of time by the introduction of machinery in its manufacture; and it is cheapened by compet.i.tion, so that now every one for a mere trifle can carry in his pocket a watch by means of which he can tell accurately the hour of day, as Shakespeare has it in "As You Like It":--

"And then he drew a dial from his poke; And looking on it with lack-l.u.s.tre eye, Says, very wisely, 'It is ten o'clock; Thus we may see,' quoth he, 'how the world wags.'"

Some further references to the sundial will be found in Chapter XVII, the sundial being one of the accompaniments of the old-world garden.

Clocks.

In "Chats on Old Copper and Bra.s.s" some mention is made of old clocks, and of the watch which grew in beauty and fineness of workmanship as it evolved from the watch-clock and the still earlier lantern and other old clocks, which were gradually introduced to supersede or supplement the earlier sundials. Very remarkable indeed are some of these household curios. The very movement of the clock, with its pendulum swinging to and fro and the loud tick which can be heard all over the room, gives a sort of venerated respect for the "grandfather," with its ma.s.sive and often richly carved or inlaid oaken or mahogany case, making it an important piece of furniture in the room.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 86.--FINE GOTHIC FRENCH CLOCK.

(_In the collection of W. Egan & Sons, Ltd., Cork._)]

The Cromwellian lantern clock was beautiful in its way, and it may be regarded as the earliest type of commonly used domestic clocks, most of which were made at a later period than is denoted by the name of Cromwellian. They are, however, of a good respectable age, and are now really valuable household antiquities. The lantern clock may be regarded as the ancestor of the "grandfather," the works of which were protected by a wooden case. The evolution from the earlier type is quite easy to follow, for the wooden hood to protect the clock on the bracket shelf was added; then came the framed head, which was glazed, and eventually the lower case covering the weights.

Much has been written about "grandfathers" and the smaller variety commonly designated "grandmothers." The dials of the earlier specimens are of bra.s.s and have only the hour hand, an onward step being marked when the minute finger was added. The mechanical arrangement by which the days of the week and the month were indicated was a happy addition, although some would, doubtless, regard them as somewhat unnecessary. The collector of antiques is likely to be imposed upon unless he is acquainted with the technical construction of both works and frame or case, for it is not an uncommon thing to fit in a modern antique case a set of old works.

The timepiece is an innovation of comparatively recent days. From the first it became the central ornament on the mantelpiece, and many artists were employed in providing suitable designs and combining various materials to produce clocks in keeping with prevailing styles of furniture and decoration. The French clockmakers became experts as designers of the smaller and more varied cases of mantelpiece clocks, many fine examples of the Empire period ranking as art treasures as well as curios.

Fig. 86 represents an exceptionally fine example of a Gothic French clock, beautifully modelled, and in excellent condition. Some of the gilt clocks and side vases to match were bought as mantelpiece ornaments, rather than for their merit as timekeepers, although the best makers always put in reliable works--there were no such works as those made by machinery and sold so cheaply to-day!

The timepieces of early Victorian days are scarcely antiques, and few of them are treasured as such, although undoubtedly curious.

Watches.