Clean up, and comment on costume/necklace please?

[PaulaToo]

Don't bother with the Temperance/Band of Hope. Rabbit.
Did them last night, they have an anchor.

Good place to start may be a Phoenix rising (or an eagle)
Since Mab suggested Phoenix I'm wondering if that's what it is.

[Rabbit B]

Oh dear I cannot resist that the 'order of the Phoenix' might have come from there!

Got to bue a nurses bage which hospital has a phoenix as a badge.  One of the old ones

Rabbit B in a rush

[IgorStrav]

Thank you all for your interest.  I haven't heard back from the V&A, and will let you know when I do.  In the meantime if anyone has any brilliant ideas, do please let me know!

 

[IgorStrav]

Hello all

I sent the picture off, on Paula's suggestion, to the V&A costume department, and this was the reply:



Thank you for re-sending the photograph. I can open it now, and can see that the
sitter is wearing a type of necklace called a sautoir. These were popular in the
Edwardian period, perhaps because they were a style favoured by Queen Alexandra.

It isn't possible to see much of the detail but yes, the pendants appear to be
silver, although they could be made out of seed pearls or another material. I
will also forward your email to my colleagues in the Metalwork department, who
will have more expertise on jewellery and may be able to add further
information.

I have never come across a piece of jewellery particularly connected to the
Police force, so I'm afraid I can't comment on that possibility. There is a
Metropolitan Police museum (see http://www.friendsofmethistory.co.uk/); you
could try contacting them to see if staff there could help.

I hope that these thoughts are useful.

Jenny Lister
Curator, Fashion and Textiles 1800-1914
Furniture, Textiles & Fashion
Victoria & Albert Museum
South Kensington
London
SW7 2RL


I've looked up sautoirs, but it does seem that they are necklaces which seem to be constructed as a very long string, which is connected towards the end, so there are two ends below a knot.  If you can understand what I mean.

The necklace my great grandmother is wearing seems just to be a ribbon, not joined together in a loop in any way.  So I'm still a little confused. 

I haven't tried the Metropolitan Police reference.

Does anyone else know anything about sautoirs?

thank you!

[PaulaToo]

Haven't a clue, Igor, I've never heard of them till now.
It looks like silver to me.

I did think it might be to do with the Band of Hope (Temperance) or Methodists, or some such. Suffragettes were yet to come, I think. It could be arts and crafty, but looks more like a symbol of office or a decoration for...something....

I'm putting my money on it being an award given to our friendly neighbourhood policeman on his retirement, and he has given it to the wife as a prezzie.

Good idea to try the cop shop. At least that would eliminate that idea...

[IgorStrav]

Unfortunately, the police site quoted by the V&A expert says that they are not answering specific research questions at the moment.  So no go on that one.

Does anyone else have any thoughts about where to go from here?

I've googled SAUTOIR but not got much back at present.

Perhaps I should have a look at some pictures of Queen Alexandra in the first decade of the 20th century.

[forthefamily]

Sautoir: (Soh-TWAH) A long rope style necklace popularized in the Edwardian era because Queen Alexandra often wore them. They were usually decorated with seed pearls and had a tassel as a pendant.

mab

[PaulaToo]

Oooooo, if that's what it is, my Mum had one of those....
Nothing like it.

[forthefamily]

My mum had one too...didn't they come back into fashions in the 1920's 

mab