Tan Leather Braided Watch Fob with Tassels

Rococo · 1750s-1760s · French

A leather watch fob consisting of multiple tan-colored leather cords braided or twisted together, terminating in a circular brown leather or metal disc at the center junction. Two decorative tassels in gold and brown silk or cotton thread hang from the disc, each featuring twisted cord construction with full, rounded tassel heads. The fob's Y-shaped configuration would have allowed a pocket watch to be suspended from the central disc while the cords passed through buttonholes or attached to waistcoat buttons. The craftsmanship shows careful attention to the tassel construction and cord braiding typical of 18th-century masculine accessories.