Old French Marquis Livery Crown Button, Gourdin et Compagnie Paris Button
Old French Marquis Livery Crown Button, Gourdin et Compagnie Paris Button
This beautiful and big antique crown button is from the 19th century, it's history is rooted in the Noble families of France. It is a beautiful golden color livery button with a lovely patina. It depicts the coronet or crown of a marquis 4 strawberry leaves and 4 silver balls also called 'pearls'. It was made in France between 1841 & 1910. The back mark shows 'G & Cie' * Paris * which stands for Gourdin et Compagnie • 16 Rue du Cloître St-Honoré PARIS. It measures 1-1/8" diameter, isn’t it beautiful? There are currently 3 of these buttons available.
As part of a necklace, in scrapbooking, as a key chain, however you use this versatile piece of history it will be simply magnifique! B968 Ref.
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History:
The word livery comes from the French livree meaning to liberate or bestow. It was used to describe giving to retainers, who provided domestic service to the nobles and aristocrats.
It came to mean the suit of clothes worn by menservants in the colors of the master who provides it and for whom they work. ( Think Downton Abbey) So from the stable boy through the page boys, each would wear his master's livery. The master wouldn't wear the livery, but he might have cufflinks or a ring using the same symbol. Many of the crest used on livery buttons descended from the crest which knights wore on top of their helmets. It enabled friend and foe to recognize each other in battle. Identifying livery buttons can be difficult because often the crest is shared by many families.
