Big Day Out stalls, Cambridge, July 2010 (01)

Bric-à-brac () or bric-a-brac (from

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

), first used in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

, around 1840, refers to lesser objets d'art forming collections of curios. The French phrase is now obsolete, dating from the 16th century, then meaning "at random, any old way". Shops selling such items, often referred to as knick knacks today, were often referred to as purveyors of fancy goods, which might also include

novelty item A novelty item or simply novelty is an object which is specifically designed to serve no practical purpose, and is sold for its uniqueness, humor, or simply as something new (hence "novelty", or newness). The term also applies to practical items wi ...

s and other giftware. The curios in these shops or in home collections might have included items such as elaborately decorated teacups and small vases, compositions of feathers or wax flowers under glass domes, decorated eggshells,

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...

figurines, painted miniatures or photographs in stand-up frames. In middle-class homes, bric-à-brac was used as ornament on

mantelpiece The fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a fire grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and c ...

s, tables, and shelves, or was displayed in

curio cabinet A curio cabinet is a specialised type of display case, made predominantly of glass with a metal or wood framework, for presenting collections of curios, like figurines or other interesting objects that invoke curiosity, and perhaps share a c ...

s; sometimes these cabinets have glass doors to display the items within while protecting them from dust. Today, "bric-à-brac" refers to a selection of items of modest value, often sold in street markets and charity shops. In

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

, such items are known as ''

tchotchkes A tchotchke ( , ) is a small bric-à-brac or miscellaneous item. The word has long been used by Jewish-Americans and in the regional speech of New York City and elsewhere. It is borrowed from Yiddish and is ultimately Slavic in origin. The word ...

''.

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

and Ogden Codman Jr., in ''The Decoration of Houses'' (1897), distinguished three gradations of quality in such "household ornaments": ''bric-à-brac'', ''bibelots'' (

trinket A trinket may refer to: * A small showy piece of jewellery, such as a jewel or a ring. * Trinket Island, an island of the Nicobar Islands ** Trinket (village), a village on the island * Trinket snake, common name for '' Elaphe helena'', a species ...

s) and objets d'art."French speech... has provided at least three designations, each indicating a delicate and almost imperceptible gradation of quality": Wharton and Codman, ''The Decoration of Houses'', 1897, Ch. XVI "Bric-à-brac" p. 184.

References

Collecting Reuse Memorabilia {{hist-stub

See also

References