set in 18ct yellow and rose gold with the french eagle head hallmark and a boar head for the silver flower c.1880s
A dormeuse (“sleeper” meaning to wear also while sleeping) poissarde (“fishwife”) is a type of earring worn c. 1790-1810 by the fishwives of Paris. The Poissardes had a special relationship with the king who gave exclusive privileges to the destitute women to sell their goods in designated sites throughout Paris, and they played a significant role in the French Revolution. Usually designed to be worn day and night, the earrings are characterised by a geometrical design, often with 2 or 3 ornaments below each other and sometimes set with gemstones, the ear wire resembling an s-shaped fish hook when open and worn back to front.
Product REF: 378P