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Chains of Office
By Madeline | February 7, 2008
The chains of office, or livery collars as they are sometimes referred to as, came into popularity in the 14th century when introduced by the trend setter, Charles V of France in the late 1300’s. Typically the livery collar was given by people of power to their friends and employees to denote their loyalty. The chain of office was an overly long necklace that was made up of large pieces of metal (sometimes embedded with gems) that were linked together with chain, though sometimes with knotted string or ribbon. These were usually very flashy and made of precious metals. When it came to livery collars, most had a badge that hung down from the very center of the collar - this typically indicated the relation of the wearer to the person who the loyalty was being given…if that makes sense… Many chains of office were without badges though as they were just the fad of the time to wear. Basically, medieval bling. :) Yeah, I had to say that somewhere in there. Hehehe
Towards the end of the 16th century, the collars of state began to lose it’s opulence (most likely due to the expense to the ‘power’ people) and became little more than a chain with a miniature of the person attached to it. Miniatures were basically very, very small portraits of the ‘power’ person and actually were very prevalent during the time of Henry VIII. I remember reading a story somewhere about a particularly notable tantrum Anne Boleyn threw when she found Henry’s picture proudly displayed on the breast of Jane Seymour - this was so bad it’s rumored it was what ultimately caused one of her many miscarriages. I digress… ;) The chains and pictures (think on the lockets worn today by women) were so popular at one point that Elizabeth I actually had the good luck to find an incredible man who was not only a gold smith, but a skilled miniaturist as well.
When watching the Tudors series, my husband fell in love with the chains of office. As a treat for him, I wanted to get him one. I didn’t know what kind of badge to attach to it and just wanted a chain. I had a devil of a time trying to find someone who sold chains of office for a decent price and accidentally stumbled upon Rhonda at the Sapphire and Sage. I looked through her collection of chains of office and e-mailed her to see if she could make one that didn’t contain any rhinestones or pearls. Usually e-mails to specialty shops go unanswered or the artist takes forever to respond and is usually brusque and short. Rhonda responded back immediately and was not only very friendly, but very willing to accommodate me. Being the procrastinator that I am, I was on a time crunch because of the impeding Renaissance Faire my husband and I were planning on attending. Rhonda had no problem with that and made the chain of office to my specification - coming up with an entire new design just for me - over the weekend and had it shipped out that Tuesday where it arrived to me on Thursday. When I received it, the chain of office was an absolute piece of art and incredibly gorgeous!!! I am one to praise when I see exemplary work and experience exemplary service (both in this case!) because goodness knows I complain enough when it’s bad. I was so excited about stumbling on this gem of a merchant, I just had to share it!!!! If you are ever in the market for a chain of office or any Tudor/Renaissance jewelry for that matter, you HAVE to check out Rhonda’s collection at http://www.sapphireandsage.com/ They get five Tudor Roses in my book for quality and service!!!
I tried attaching a picture of the chain of office Rhonda made on here, but am having issues. I’ll have to consult the more technical half of my marriage and will hopefully get it posted later tonight.
Topics: Clothing, Merchant Reviews |
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