Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. An aiguillette, also spelled aguillette, aiglet or aglet, is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself.
Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and early 17th centuries, sometimes of gold set with gemstones or enameled, are generally called "aiglets", "aglets" or "points".
In modern usage, an "aiguillette" is an ornamental braided cord with decorative metal tips worn on uniforms or as part of other costumes such as academic dress, where it will denote an honor. This usage of "aiguillette" derives from lacing used to fasten plate armor together. As such, a knot or loop arrangement was used which sometimes hung from the shoulder.
The modern aiguillette derives from the laces used to secure plates of armor together—the breast- and back-plates would be attached on one side with short loops of cord acting as a hinge, and on the other by a longer and more ornate tied one, to support the arm defenses. The ensuing knots would hang down the shoulder. (As with combat boots, the longer the lace, the less the need to undo the entire lace.) As armor became more ornamental and less practical, so too did the ties. This would also explain the aiguillettes of varying levels of complexity in the uniforms of armored troops, as opposed to other "unarmored" troops.
A version that says that aiguillettes originated in aides-de-camp and adjutants wearing a pencil at the end of a cord hanging from the shoulder has no historical basis.
The aiguillette should not be confused with the fourragère, which is worn by soldiers and Marines who are assigned to units that were awarded certain decorations by the French and Belgian governments for valorous conduct in the First and Second World Wars.
This boxed set of General Staff Officer Aiguillettes appear as unissued with the only real wear on the original box in which they came in. The gold wire braid is in excellent condition with no visible wear or damage. The clips and fasteners are all present and both of the decorative metal tips are present and free of damage. These appear to be for Army use, as the Naval ones have anchors decorating the tips.
This is an excellent example of unissued General Staff Officers Aiguillettes! Comes more than ready for display.
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