POSY HOLDER TUSSIE MUSSIE
Silver posy holder (silver tussie mussie) is a type of funnel-shaped container for holding a posy (a flowerv or a nosegay), basically intended to be worn attached to a dress. The handle may be of ivory, amber, porcelain, mother-of-pearl. The posy is secured by a pin across the mouth of the funnel and the holder is attached to the dress by a pin or hook.
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Some examples have, attached by a chain, a finger-ring for use when held by hand and some are made as a brooch.
In earlier times before sanitation and concerns with personal hygiene, the nosegays were carried to superstitiously ward off disease or to camouflage the unpleasant smells of the street.
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Later in the 19th and early 20th centuries they were romanticized as a fashion accessory for young ladies to hold the flowers brought by courting 'gentleman callers'.
![young ladies used posy holder to hold the flowers brought by their courting 'gentleman callers' young ladies used posy holder to hold the flowers brought by their courting 'gentleman callers'](posy99.jpg) |
To show her acceptance of him, she skewered the flowers into the posy holder with a long pin and wore the holder to a ball. Attached to her hand by a chain and a ring, it swung free while they danced.
![Posy holder was attached to lady's hand by a chain and a ring Posy holder was attached to lady's hand by a chain and a ring](posy8terbis.jpg) |
In America this small container used to carry nosegays of sweet smelling flowers or herbs is called 'tussie mussie'.
The name 'tussie' originates from an old English word for a nosegay. The second part refers to the wet moss used to keep the flowers moist.
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A common posy holder had a repousse receptacle with fruits, flowers, beads and leaves
![posy holder with flowers posy holder with flowers](posy11.jpg) |
They were fixed into a metal or carved mother of pearl handle
![posy holder with metal handle posy holder with metal handle](posy12bis.jpg) |
Other posy holders had the shape of a mesh basket with oak leaves,
![posy holders in the shape of a mesh basket with oak leaves posy holders in the shape of a mesh basket with oak leaves](posy10.jpg) |
or a cornet shape highly embossed with open work and elaborated designs with leaves and a medallion on the side
![posy holder with cornet shape with open work posy holder with cornet shape with open work](POSY5.jpg) ![posy holder with elaborated design with leaves and medallion posy holder with elaborated design with leaves and medallion](posy3.jpg) ![posy holder pierced and embossed with flowers and leaves posy holder pierced and embossed with flowers and leaves](posy14.jpg) |
Posy holders had also the shape of a brooch for lady's suits
![brooch posy holder brooch posy holder](posy13bis.jpg) |
sometimes of unusual shape such as shoes and horns
![horn brooch posy holder horn brooch posy holder](posy18ter.jpg) |
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