Victorian Black Lacquered Mourning Chatelaine

In the days before pockets became en vogue in ladies fashion, women took a more fashionable approach to keeping their daily tools and necessities on hand -- by wearing a chatelaine! A more aesthetically pleasing take on today's Swiss Army Knife, a chatelaine is a decorative hook that is worn over a belt or waist sash. Dangling from the hook are a series of chains suspending varied household tools. From watches and keys to scissors and pencils, what a wearer would attach to their chatelaine varied depending on the occasion as well as their overall daily life needs.  Chatelaines can range in style from simple to ornate; decorative to utilitarian. Although they have been  worn and utilized since Medieval times, chatelaines saw a fashion resurgence in the latter half of the 19th century thanks in part to Princess Alexandra of Wales (Queen Victoria's daughter-in-law) and her fondness for wearing one. This particular chatelaine is a bit more unusual than most in that it has been painted in a