Ball Bouquet Holder, Enamelled Ceramic Handle, Napoleon III Period

Bouquet holder with a pretty enameled ceramic handle. The vase is made of gilded metal, finely stamped, chiseled, and cut. It is decorated with a red and white enamel decoration on the upper part. A chain is attached to the bouquet needle. It measures 5,51 inches. Circa 1850-1860.
Note on bouquet holders: The use of bouquet holders appeared at the court of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV and developed throughout the 18th century. Flowers were then worn on clothes and in the hair. To keep the flowers fresh and fragrant, bouquet holders took the form of bottles hidden in bodices or worn on clothing. In the 19th century, the custom of carrying flowers led manufacturers to create new types of bouquet holders. The bouquet holder then consisted of a vase that extended with a handle on which there was sometimes a chain connected to a ring. The latter is attached to the finger or to a chatelaine and allows the bouquet holder to be held. A system allows the bouquet to be fixed in the "vase", the simplest being that of the fixed bouquet needle. Sources: Catalogue of the "Porte-bouquets" exhibition at the Cognacq-Jay Museum in 2005.