Art Nouveau Tussie Mussie, Russia, Late 19th Century / 1900

Art Nouveau period prom Tussie Mussie. Rare and exceptional finely engraved and chiseled silver bouquet holder decorated with flowers. The Tussie Mussie needle is connected to a chain. Russian silver hallmark used between 1896 and 1908. The entire bouquet holder measures 5,63 inches It is in perfect condition. Russia late 19th century / 1900.
Note on Pussie Mussies: The use of the Pussie Mussies appeared at the court of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV and developed throughout the 18th century. Flowers were then worn on the clothes and in the hair. In order to keep the freshness and the fragrance of the flowers, the bouquet holders took the form of flasks concealed in the bodices or worn on the clothes. In the 19th century, the custom of carrying flowers led manufacturers to create new types of bouquet holders. The bouquet holder always consists of a vase whose shape varies according to three distinct types: The slats, the cone or the horn. The vase is often extended by a handle on which there is sometimes a chain connected to a ring. The latter is fixed to the finger or to a chatelaine and makes it possible to hold the bouquet holder. A system makes it possible to fix the bouquet in the “vase”, the simplest being that of the fixed needle bouquet. Sources: Catalog of the “Porte-bouquets” exhibition at the Cognacq-Jay Museum in 2005.