chains

A silver chain, known by the term “hook”, consisting of two extreme elements and a chain connecting to one or two segments had the task of closing some garments of both men's and women's clothing. The jewel is widespread both in the simplest type with a chain and in the type with articulated plates in perforated foil and decorated with a pin.
A silver chain, known by the term “hook”, consisting of two extreme elements and a chain connecting to one or two segments had the task of closing some garments of both men's and women's clothing.

The jewel is widespread both in the simplest type of chain and in the type of articulated plates in perforated foil and decorated with a pin, with extreme fastenings, often heart-shaped, also in silver foil, perforated and finished with a chisel and a pin, whose central part appears decorated with zoomorphic figures such as griffins and other birds of prey. However, there is no shortage of depictions of knights, apotropaic masks and zoomorphic motifs. Horrid masks aimed at protecting against the evil eye frequently appear, together with the rosettes, in the connecting rings of the various plates in cases where the “hook” appears to be made with this technique; the actual plates are almost always decorated, with fretwork and horn, with representations of birds faced and with a stylized tree in between.
Among the various functions, these chains were to garnish the “collettu”, a men's leather garment used in Sardinia until the first half of the 19th century. In men's clothing, it was also used to close the 'serenicu coat'.

Another function of the 'hook' was to stop the flaps of the female headgear around the face; this function was present in the headgear used in some centers of Ogliastra (Villagrande Strisaili, Ilbono, Jerzu, Lanusei, Tortolì, Lanusei, etc.). The headgear, generally consisting of a small cloak with the edges covered with taffeta ribbons in a contrasting color compared to the base fabric, was held tight to the face by means of a chain running under the chin and fixed on the garment at the height of the cheeks with two foil plates, equipped with holes for the seam. These chains are known not only by the term 'gancèra', but also as 'càncios de frénu' and 'cadenàtzas'.
The chain, in some centers, also had the task of closing the apron of the festive dress at the waist, such as in Atzara, Samugheo, Meana Sardo, Tonara and Desulo (gancera de chinzu). In Busachi, the most beautiful were the 'angellu basin hook', because on the sides it ended with two angel heads and the 'grughitta hook' because it was garnished with small crosses. Used for the same purpose, the chain can also be found in Trexenta, where it is called “ganceria de chinzu”.
The 'hook' held the two front parts of the female bodice together, at chest height or at the waist, in some centers of Ogliastra, Sarrabus and Trexenta. Even in Gavoi and Meana Sardo, the jacket was closed with a silver chain.

Update

18/9/2023 - 17:05