The first time I saw it, I thought it was odd, but then, 18th century artists love putting strange details in things, so I went on my merry way. But I've seen it a few times since, and now I've got to know:
What's with the wreaths hung on the ridge poles?
I've seen it multiple times in period artwork depicting french military encampments of the ancien regime (i.e. pre Revolution). Always an "A" frame style tent, where a canvas is draped over a horizontal pole and the ends pulled outwards and held tight, by staking or tying, to make a triangular sheltered area beneath, always with the horizontal beam extending beyond the canvas at the more accessible end of the tent, and a circle of some sort of what appears to be greenery hooked on the protruding part, like one would put a key ring on a hook.
It's popped up in paintings, engravings, often as a background small detail, and occasionally as a very prominent one, such as in this piece that went up for sale at Sotheby's depicting a mid-18th century French military camp:
I've seen just the wooden signs, by themselves, like this one from a collection of 17th century French military images held at the BNF:
But I've also seen the wreath by itself, on a tent that didn't appear to be special in any manner, like this engraving of 1756 infanteries by Louis David from Tome 6 of the BNF collection:
A wreath accompanied by a flag or sign, from Troupes du Roi 1757 held at Musée de l'Armée:
Wreath, soldiers playing card games, from a series by Nicolaus Hauffmann of french troops that took park in the AWI:
From the same series by Hoffman, soldiers eating outside a tent with a flag (but no wreath) hung from the ridge pole:
Same series, same artist, flag with illegible writing and a small sprig of greenery, one soldier pouring a drink for another.
Does this have any significance? Is it some sort of social/cultural custom, or is it perhaps an identifier to signal what the purpose of that specific tent?
