This engraved badge
design may have been a prototype for the insignia on hats worn by
soldiers of the French regiment known as the Chasseurs D' Orleans
(1842-1848). The regiment was named in commemoration of Prince
Ferdinand-Philippe of Orléans who died in July 1842. When the Royal
Family were exiled from France in 1848 the regiment was renamed
"chasseurs à pied".
It is one of a group of objects from the workshop of the Swiss
engraver, Jean Julien Faucherre ( 1805-1891). He was born and trained in
Switzerland but worked in France from about 1830 to 1841 when he
settled in London. In 1857, he was described as a master watch engraver
but the surviving material, although including watch dials,
demonstrates wider involvement in the silversmithing trade from
electrotyped dressing table boxes to engraved panels for carriage
clocks. It is very rare to find so much documented material from one of
the smaller workshops in the trade. His work would have been largely
anonymous and sold under the name of larger silversmiths or retailers of
the Victorian period.
White dress is what most people in the West associate with weddings.
This isn’t surprising since white is universally regarded as the
color of purity, and weddings are all about celebrating and cementing a
monogamous, loving relationship.
However, this tradition of wearing white wedding dresses in fact only
started in the mid-19th century when Queen Victoria of England wore a
white wedding gown when she married her consort Albert in 1840.
Beyond the Pale
In reality, in previous centuries in the West, other colors were preferred for wedding gowns.
Outside of the West, a range of colors besides white has always dominated the wedding day.
Using Blue for the Big Day
In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity.
Blue was also the border color of the bride’s dress in ancient Israel where it symbolized similar virtues.
Because Christianity generally portrayed the Virgin Mary in blue,
purity was also associated with this color just as it is these days with
white.
Blue remained a popular color for wedding gowns until Queen Victoria
popularized wearing white. Perhaps the brides then were thinking of the
proverb, “Marry in blue, lover be true.”
Opting for Red Instead
Regarded as the color of joy and luck, red is the color that brides wear in China.
Some brides also wore red in the United States during the
Revolutionary War in the 18th century to symbolize the independence the
Colonists desired.
In Korea, brides have two types of dresses to choose from, including a
simple lime-green gown called a wonsam. It is embroidered with flowers
and butterflies and worn over the hanbok, the doll-like traditional
wedding dress that is made of patterned silk.
Where Green is Seen
Because it is the color of plants and Moroccans think it brings good luck, brides there wear green gowns.
The other type of dress that brides wear in Korea is the more
elaborate gown called a hwarrot, or “flower robe.” Like the red wonsam,
it is also worn over the hanbok (see last listing in ‘Red’ section above
for more details).
The Reason Behind Bright Yellow
In Morocco, brides can choose to wear yellow instead of green. Yellow is worn to scare away the evil eye.
When Black Was the Fashion
During the 16th century, Roman Catholic brides in Spain wore black gowns and lacy mantillas to show their devotion to their spouse until death.
Purple Preference
To pay tribute to the dead, some American brides during the Civil War wore purple because it represents honor and courage.
Where Red and White Rule
In Japan, women wear two colors for the wedding ceremony: A white, silk
kimono lined with red. This combination symbolizes happiness and a new
beginning.
Sporting Silver and Gold
While women in Japan begin their wedding wearing a white kimono lined
with red, they often wear gowns of silver or gold as the special event
progresses.
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| Traditional Spanish Mantilla |
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| Grace Kelly |
Head wear in other cultures
Tsunokakushi (角隠し tsunokakushi?) is a traditional Japanese
wedding headwear.
Tsunokakushi is a rectangular piece of cloth, which covers the bridal high topknot called Bunkin Takashimada
(文金高島田 bunkin takashimada?), a kind of Mage
(髷 mage?), Japanese traditional topknot. It's often made of white silk.
This is traditionally worn to veil the bride's horns of jealousy, ego and selfishness. It also symbolized the bride's resolve to become a gentle and obedient wife
