Designs for an Etui and a Chatelaine 1750 - 1777

Pierre Moreau made this drawing for an etui and a chatelaine using pen and ink with watercolor in eighteenth-century France. Both objects were important accoutrements for wealthy women. The etui was a small case for holding needles and other small items, while the chatelaine was a decorative belt hook from which hung keys, scissors, and other useful objects. The designs are highly ornate, featuring delicate Rococo scrollwork, ribbons, and floral motifs. Note the heraldic devices of eagles and fleur-de-lis, further indication of its aristocratic associations. These objects served to signify status, wealth, and taste, reinforcing social hierarchies and cultural values. The French court was the arbiter of taste and fashion, and those who could afford to do so aspired to emulate its style. Historians of decorative art consult pattern books, trade catalogs, and inventories to understand the circulation of design ideas and the social context in which these objects were made and used. Examining these beautiful designs help us understand the function of art as a marker of social status.