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La basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière, un trésor d’humanité et le symbole fort de l’attachement de toute une ville à la Vierge Marie.
Une basilique emblématique.
La basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière, de style Néo-Byzantin, est l’œuvre des architectes Pierre Bossan et Louis Sainte-Marie Perrin. Elle est édifiée à partir d’une souscription publique en 1870 et consacrée en 1896.
Du haut de “la colline qui prie”, la basilique dédiée à la Vierge Marie est classée monument historique. Elle fait partie du site lyonnais inscrit au Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Aujourd’hui, emblème de la ville de Lyon, la basilique accueille chaque année plus de 2,5 millions de pèlerins et visiteurs.
Avant la basilique : La Chapelle Saint-Thomas, un édifice médiéval.
En 1168, sur les ruines du forum romain, une chapelle est construite à Fourvière par Olivier de Chavannes, un chanoine de Saint-Jean. La petite chapelle, édifiée « apud forum Venerisnote.", est dédiée tout d'abord à saint Thomas puis à la Vierge. Elle est richement dotée, et confiée au chapitre de Saint-Jean qui la dessert. L'archevêque Jean Belles-mains la dote en 1192 d'un chapitre propre, comptant quatre chanoines. Cette générosité lui permet également d'avoir les mains libres pour le chantier de la primatiale.
Au xviie siècle, Lyon est frappée plusieurs fois par des épidémies de peste, notamment en 1628 (la plus dévastatrice), 1631, 1637, 1639 et 1642. Face à ce fléau, les échevins du consulat font appel à la Vierge, probablement à l'inspiration du prévôt des marchands Alexandre de Mascrany. Le 5 avril 1642, un vœu est décidé : une procession à Notre-Dame aura lieu deux jours plus tard vers Fourvière, afin d'implorer la délivrance de la peste. Ce pèlerinage ayant eu lieu, il est choisi de le perpétuer annuellement. Le 12 mars 1643, un vote de la même assemblée voue la ville entière à Marie, et entérine un pèlerinage annuel, placé le 8 septembre, jour de la Nativité de Marie.
La statue de Marie :
Au milieu du xixe siècle, l'église de Fourvière menace de tomber en ruine. Des constatations faites par André Flachéron révèlent en particulier l'état de vétusté du vieux clocher. Le remplacement de cet édifice est confié à l'architecte diocésain Alphonse-Constance Duboys, et commence au mois d'août 1849. Ce clocher à base carrée conserve un premier étage médiéval, surmonté de deux étages datant de 1849 ; le troisième étage est de plan octogonal, et se termine par une coupole.
Sur cette dernière est placée en 1852 une statue de la Vierge réalisée par Joseph-Hugues Fabisch, dont la construction a été autorisée en 1851 par le cardinal de Bonald. C’est une statue de 5,60 mètres et de plus de 3 tonnes, située à plus de 300 mètres de hauteur au-dessus de la ville de Lyon. Ses mensurations sont volontairement disproportionnées (mains et visage trop grands par rapport à son corps), afin d'apparaître idéalement lorsqu’on la regarde d’en bas.
L'inauguration, en souvenir du vœu des échevins, est prévue pour le 8 septembre 1852, mais les intempéries frappant le nord-est de la France provoquent une inondation de la Saône et un retard de la livraison de la statue. La fête est repoussée au 8 décembre, date (alors non officiellement approuvée) de la fête de l'Immaculée Conception, dogme qui sera proclamé deux ans plus tard par Pie IX. À cause du mauvais temps de début décembre, un report au 12 du mois est envisagé ; mais le ciel se dégage au cours de l'après-midi du 8. En signe de piété, les Lyonnais allument des lumignons et les posent sur les appuis de fenêtre : c'est la naissance de la Fête des Lumières.
Portait painted of Julian Assange wikileaks at the Abode of Chaos by thierry Ehrmann
Wall-paint by Cart'1 @ the Abode of Chaos
(Creative Commons Paternity) original version free on Flickr 2592 x 3872
For those who have just arrived on Planet Earth, let me remind you that what we are experiencing since last Sunday evening is the “Pearl Harbor of Global Democracy” according to Hilary Clinton and the “9/11 of American Diplomacy” according to Barak Obama and his advisors. After 400,000 secret documents on the operating methods of the US army in Iraq, Assange has broken the sound barrier since Sunday with 250,000 diplomatic cables that concern 179 countries! Le Monde, Der Spiegel, El País, the Guardian and the New York Times… according to the latter, more than 1,200 journalists are picking their way through roughly half a billion words of extremely contemporary cables, the most recent of which dates from March 2010. For historians who normally have to wait 50 years before getting access to such material, this is a dream come true. In this case the diplomatic cables are not much older than 7 months. Their scope is colossal. Hence the US State Department’s cry of “murder”…
My dear little wolves and she-wolves, in truth, I tell you, Sunday night tens of thousands of writers put an end to their lives … Imagine you were a Sci-Fi or Anticipation writer, director of Sci-Fi – Fantasy Collection at Pocket, Denoël or Rivages.
According to Laurent COURAU, the mythical founder of the Spirale who is postponing his suicide, “Assange and Wikileaks have definitively relegated fiction to beneath reality and we are seeing a veritable incarnation of the cyber-punk imagination right now in this early 21st century”.
Last precaution: Julian Assange has placed a small encrypted file entitled Insurance History on the Swedish Server of Pirate Bay (specialist in the illegal download of music and film music). On Twitter, he recommends that his followers download the file and await his instructions…
thierry Ehrmann, www.ehrmann.org/en/propaganda.html
Abode Of Chaos / Demeure du Chaos 2010
Mur peint par Thomas Foucher @ la Demeure du Chaos
Hommage numéro 1 à Julian Assange . Wikileaks
Hommage numéro 2 à Julian Assange . Wikileaks
Peinture: Cart'1 photo Abode of Chaos (creative communs)
©2010 www.AbodeofChaos.org
courtesy of Organ Museum
Julian Assange « homme de l’année » pour Le Monde / Julian Assange named Man of the Year by Le Monde: lire le Blog de thierry Ehrmann/ read the Blog of thierry Ehrmann
thierry Ehrmann blog.ehrmann.org/
DemeureduChaos.org
The Abode of Chaos from Above,/La Demeure du Chaos vue du ciel:
www.flickr.com/photos/home_of_chaos/sets/72157624460145909/
Pour ceux qui arriveraient sur la planère Terre, je leur rappelle que, ce que nous vivons depuis dimanche soir, est le « Pearl Harbor de la Diplomatie mondiale » cqfd Hillary Clinton et selon Obama et ses conseillers le « 11 septembre de la diplomatie américaine ». Après 400 000 documents confidentiels, relatifs au mode opératoire de l’armée américaine en Irak, il passe le mur du son avec depuis dimanche soir, 250 000 dépêches diplomatiques qui frappent plus de 179 pays ! Le Monde, Der Spiegel, El PAis, the Guardian et New York Times. Selon ce dernier, plus de 1 200 journalistes sont jour et nuit sur une base de données de près d’un demi milliard de mots… sur des dépêches diplomatiques ultra-récentes donts les dernières datent de mars 2010. C’est le rêve de l’historien qui doit normalement patienter jusqu’à 50 ans pour pouvoir accéder à de tels trésors. Ici les dépêches diplomatiques ont à peine plus de 7 mois. Tout y passe. D’où le département d’état américain qui hurle à l’assassin…
Mes p’tits loups, mes p’tites louves, en vérité, je vous le dis, dimanche soir des dizaines de milliers d’écrivains se sont donnés la mort… Imaginez une seconde que vous soyiez écrivain de SF ou d’Anticipation, directeur de Collection SF – Fantasy chez Pocket, Denoël ou Rivages.
Selon Laurent COURAU, fondateur mythique de la Spirale qui repousse son suicide, il déclare : « Assange et Wikileaks relèguent définitivement la fiction loin derrière la réalité et l’on assiste à la véritable incarnation de l’imaginaire cyber-punk dans ce début de XXIème siècle ».
A mes yeux, Julian Assange est le fils naturel de Lorenz (Edward Norton), il est tout simplement le « Cygne Noir » du début de ce siècle, il brise les sceaux un par un dans l’agora des éthers qu’est l’Internet.
Avec la globalisation d’Internet, il faut s’attendre, selon mon vieux maître Paul Virillio à un accident général, un accident jamais vu, aussi étonnant que le temps mondial, ce temps jamais vu. Un accident général qui serait un peu ce qu’Epicure appelait « l’accident des accidents ».
Ce jour fut le 28 novembre 2010 où Internet est devenu l’incarnation de l’information à l’état brut, c’est aussi le jour où les citoyens du village “Glocal” de Mc Lhuan ont eu à leurs dispositions l’histoire en temps réel, apanage jusqu’à présent des puissants. C’est aussi la révélation de la phrase de Mathieu(x26) qui prends son plein sens “car il n’y a rien de caché qui ne doit être découvert ni de secret qui ne doivent être connu” …(page 183 Opus III Abode of Chaos Spirit)
Ultime précaution : Julian Assange a placé sur le serveur suédois de Pirate Bay (spécialisé dans les téléchargements illicites de musique et de films), un petit fichier crypté mystérieux, baptisé »Assurance historique ». Sur Twitter, il recommande à ses partisans de le télécharger et d’attendre les instructions.
thierry Ehrmann www.ehrmann.org/propaganda.html
DemeureduChaos.org
thierry Ehrmann blog.ehrmann.org/
The Abode of Chaos from Above,/La Demeure du Chaos vue du ciel:
www.flickr.com/photos/home_of_chaos/sets/72157624460145909/
Preview 2011 Borderline Biennial at the Abode of Chaos adult only version EN/FR
An intensely green patina has developed on this bronze repoussé relief depicting Dionysos and Ariadne, originally attached below the handle of an hydria (water jar), fragments of which were found with the relief.
Dionysos, on the left, is holding a cornucopia in his right hand, and leaning on something (an altar?) with his left hand. He is naked, save a himation, which has fallen from his hips, exposing his nudity. He is staring at Ariadne, on the right, who is holding her veil open and looking back towards her husband.
Hellenistic, from Chalke (Chalki, Χάλκη), near Rhodes, ca. 325-300 BCE.
British Museum, London (GR 1889.11-12.2, Bronze 311)
The Buddha Park of Ravangla, also known as Tathagata Tsal, is situated near Ravangla in South Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It was constructed between 2006 and 2013, and features a 130-foot-high (40 m) statue of the Buddha, erected to mark the 2550th anniversary of the birth of Gautama Buddha, as its main attraction. The statue, built of 60 tonnes of copper, is an example of repousse work. Mount Narsing forms the backdrop to the statue. The site was chosen within the larger religious complex of Rabong Monastery, itself a centuries-old place of pilgrimage. Also nearby is Ralang Monastery, a key monastery in Tibetan Buddhism. Built and installed through the joint efforts of the government and people of Sikkim, the statue was consecrated on 25 March 2013 by the 14th Dalai Lama. The Buddhist circuit of the park was built under a state government project, intended to boost pilgrimage and tourism to the region. The Cho Djo lake is located within the complex, surrounded by forest. The park has a tranquil setting with spacious pathways, and there is a Buddhist conclave, a meditation centre and a museum with a spiral gallery. (Wikipedia)
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We probably spent an hour visiting this beautiful temple and park during our visit to Sikkim. The inside of the temple is covered in beautiful, colourful paintings telling the story of Buddha. Unfortunately, no photos allowed inside.
Ravangla, Sikkim, India. March 2016.
Asian Adventures.
Je vous salue, ruines solitaires, tombeaux saints, murs silencieux! c'est vous que j'invoque; c'est à vous que j'adresse ma prière. Oui! tandis que votre aspect repousse d'un secret effroi les regards du vulgaire, mon cœur trouve à vous contempler le charme des sentiments profonds et des hautes pensées. Combien d'utiles leçons, de réflexions touchantes ou fortes n'offrez-vous pas à l'esprit qui sait vous consulter! C'est vous qui, lorsque la terre entière asservie se taisait devant les tyrans, proclamiez déja les vérités qu'ils détestent, et qui, confondant la dépouille des rois avec celle du dernier esclave, attestiez le saint dogme de l'égalité. C'est dans votre enceinte, qu'amant solitaire de la liberté, j'ai vu m'apparaître son génie, non tel que se le peint un vulgaire insensé, armé de torches et de poignards, mais sous l'aspect auguste de la justice, tenant en ses mains les balances sacrées où se pèsent les actions des mortels aux portes de l'éternité.
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Saúdovos, ruínas solitarias, sagrados mausoleos, muros silenciosos! É a vós a quen invoco; a miña súplica só a vós se dirixe. Si! en canto o voso sombrío aspecto afasta as olladas do vulgo por un insólito e segredo pavor, atopa o meu corazón en vos contemplar o encanto de mil pensamentos e os atractivos dun sen número de novas ideas que me levan canda si con irresistible impulso. Que proveitosos documentos! Que fortes e tocantes reflexións ofrecedes ao espírito que vos sabe consultar! Sodes vós as que, mentres o Universo enteiro escravizado enmudecía ante os tiranos, proclamavades verdades que eles abominaban; e que confundindo os despoxos do Potentado cos restos do vil cativo, atestavades o santo dogma da igualdade! É ao pé do voso recinto onde, amante solitario da Liberdade, vin aparecer o seu xenio, non como o imaxina o vulgo insensible, armado de fachos e puñais, senón baixo o aspecto augusto da xustiza, portando nas súas mans as balanzas sagradas onde se pesan as accións dos mortais ás portas da eternidade.
Constantin-François Chassebœuf de La Giraudais, comte Volney (1757-1820), Les Ruines, ou méditation sur les révolutions des empires, 1791.
MÚSICA: Dover - King George
Cumdach (book shrine) of the Cathach, 1062–94 and late 14th century with later additions and repairs, bronze, gilt silver, wood, crystal, and glass, 19 x 25 x 5.25 cm (National Museum of Ireland)
This is the Sullivan Mine sculpture in downtown Kimberly dedicated in front of the city library 09 May 2015.
The sculpture is by local artists Tony and Twila Austin of Kimberley's Dragon’s Rest Working Studio and pays homage to Kimberly's early history as a mining town.
The sculpture is constructed of forged, repousse` and welded mild steel, and incorporates a large piece of ore and a jackleg drill from the Sullivan Mine.
The sculpture depicts two turn-of-the-century miners double jacking (hand drilling) on one side of a large piece of ore/rock with a modern miner with a jackleg drilling on the other side.
Kimberley’s history dates back to the discovery of galena at the North Star mine, now the location of the Kimberley Alpine Resort.
With the subsequent discovery of high grade minerals, the Sullivan Mine opened. The Sullivan Mine was an enormous deposit of ore and quickly became the largest lead and zinc mine in the world. It was also Kimberley’s largest employer for nearly 100 years.
In its lifetime, the mine produced over 160 million tons of ore containing 8 million tons of lead, 7 million tons of zinc, and 285 million troy ounces (8.9×109 g) of silver. After 92 years of active production, the Sullivan Mine closed in 2001.
On xplore #262 - 2014-05-25
Ma Poussy adore sa chaise sur le balcon, voyez-vous-mêmes !
Vous entendez les oiseaux aussi sur cette vidéo.
(son ventre avait été rasé le 2 janvier pour passer une échographie et les poils n'ont pas encore repoussé, ça va ultra long !!)
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My Poussy love her chair on the balcony, you see yourself !
(her belly was shaved Jan. 2 for an ultrasound and the hairs have not yet pushed, it goes super long!)
Portlandia is a sculpture by Raymond Kaskey located above the entrance of the Portland Building in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty.
Vent de NW avec des rafales de 70 à 100km/heure, l'eau de ce côté-ci l'étang est repoussée, laissant place à la grève par endroits.
The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, Cathedral of Popayán (Colombia) were granted permission to sell the crown
by Pius X in 1914. Hopefully that initial sale helped the poor. After going through several collectors it escaped the melting pot when purchased by the Museum in 2015.
Sous la pluie. Avec l'elfe-fée pour veiller sur elles.
Rouquin a été très déçu aujourd'hui car il guettait les chocolats. Frifri lui ayant causé du pays et appris que la chasse aux oeufs était repoussée à demain matin, Rouquin est reparti ultra vexé, sous l'oeil amusé de Frifri et Maïa.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Tonight however we are at Rippon Court, the ancient sprawling house and family seat of Sir John Nettleword Hughes, buried deep within his vast estate in Bedforshire. Old enough to be Lettice’s father, wealthy Sir John was until recently still a bachelor, and according to London society gossip intended to remain so, so that he might continue to enjoy his dalliances with a string of pretty chorus girls of Lettice’s age and younger. After an abrupt ending to her understanding with Selwyn Spencely, son and heir to the title Duke of Walmsford, Lettice in a moment of both weakness and resolve, agreed to the proposal of marriage proffered to her by Sir John. More like a business arrangement than a marriage proposal, Sir John offered Lettice the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of his large fortune, be chatelain of all his estates and continue to have her interior design business, under the conditions that she agree to provide him with an heir, and that he be allowed to discreetly carry on his affairs in spite of their marriage vows. He even suggested that Lettice might be afforded the opportunity to have her own extra marital liaisons if she were discreet about them.
Lettice, her fiancée, Sir John, and his sister Clemance have motored over from Lettice’s family home of Glynes in Wiltshire to host the Rippon Hunt. Being a keen hunter, His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales has sent word to Sir John that he and a party of his equally enthusiastic foxhunting friends wish to participate in the Rippon Hunt, so Sir John has cut short his sojourn to Fontengil Park in Wiltshire, near to his fiancée’s family seat and has reluctantly returned to his sprawling, draughty and slightly tumbledown, dreaded childhood home to host the Prince in a few days’ time. The Prince has also expressed his express wish to reacquaint himself with Lettice, now that she is Sir John’s fiancée, so she is playing hostess to His Royal Highness, and as the future Lady Nettleford Hughes, has been bestowed the honour of handing out the trophies. Clemance is attending as chaperone.
Lettice looks at all the silverware arranged on the ancient and thick grey oak beam mantle above the fireplace made from stones excavated from the site of the country house. Trophies large and small gleam in the dull, wintery January light streaming through the window, and the electrified lights of the baronial style* chandelier overhead. Large trophies with sinuous handles and finial topped lids, chargers** and bowls with ornate repoussé*** work jostle for space alongside smaller Eighteenth Century style tankards and jugs and even a few horse figurines. All of them proudly show Nineteenth Century dates on them and mention different chases, hunts and meets along with the names of Sir and Lady Nettleford-Hughes, Sir John’s parents.
Lettice reaches out her hand gingerly and strokes the moulded mane of a rather proud looking horse trophy, the metal cold beneath her fingers. Somewhere outside, a fox barks in the garden, breaking the suffocating silence of the drawing room which is punctuated by the deep sonorous ticking of a grandfather clock and the occasional crackle and spit of the wood logs burning in the grate. She shivers as she wonders whether the fox outside the window will be the hunted prey of the Prince’s hounds in a few days time.
“Ghastly, aren’t they?” comes a voice from the doorway leading from the passage outside.
Lettice gasps and snatches her hand away as she turns and sees Clemance standing in the doorway, a tiara of diamonds sparkling in her greying mousey blonde waves, her figure draped in a sleeveless fur trimmed evening cloak of crushed red velvet. “Clemance!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Lettice my dear.” Clemance apologises, raising her white elbow length glove clad hand to her lips. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Oh no… you didn’t,” Lettice stammers. I was just.. it’s…”
Clemance chuckles sadly. “Even after decades of absence from it, I’m so used to this gloomy old pile of bricks, woods and stone, that I forget what it must be like for a first-time visitor to Rippon Court.”
“You just startled me, was all,” Lettice manages to explain.
“I even remember the smell of this old place.” Clemance goes on with a dreamlike lilt to her voice, seemingly not having heard Lettice’s response. “Fancy that.” She drifts across the room, skirting the edges of the Knole sofa**** and various occasional tables, her white satin tango shoes***** sinking into the thick old-fashioned Victorian Turkish******* rug beneath her feet. “Aren’t they awfully vulgar en masse?” she asks, indicating to the trophies as she steps up beside Lettice.
“Well,” Lettice remarks. “They are very impressive.”
“Ahh,” Clemance responds with her eyebrows arching. “They are a tribute to Nettie’s and my parents and their ghoulish love of bloodsports. You may recall, when we were in the Tuileries********, dear Lettice, that I mentioned to Léonie Dupont that our parents were born on horses.”
“Yes, I do remember that.” Lettice acknowledges.
“Father was always a fine rider, a mad keen steeplechaser********* and bloodthirsty hunter.” Clemance shudders. “Mother was too. They couldn’t understand why Nettie didn’t enjoy, nor have the aptitude for, the outdoor sports they embraced with such gusto. When Nettie was blooded********** after his reluctant participation in a hare coursing**********, he came home awash with tears, and rather than being proud of him, our father was quite the opposite, and it sent him into one of his rages.”
“Poor John.”
“Poor Nettie indeed,” Clemance agrees. “I was lucky. I was just ‘the daughter’, an aberration to be gotten rid of and married off at the earliest opportunity.”
“Surely you parents didn’t think that if you Clemance?” Lettice exclaims.
Clemance gives Lettice a doubtful look as she screws up her face. “They did.” she replies simply. “You are lucky Lettice. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your parents now, and whilst I do consider your mother to be a little old-fashioned in her outlook towards women and their role in post-war society, your father and his attitudes towards his daughters, you in particular, makes my father look like a positive neanderthal************. You and your siblings can be in no doubt that you are loved. I suffered the tragedy of being born a female in my household. Neither of my parents had time for a daughter, especially a bookish one like me. I was tolerated, but generally ignored and neglected, which was perhaps just as well.”
“How can you say that, Clemance?” Lettice exclaims. “Being neglected is a great tragedy.”
“Because whilst I was being ignored, I could fairly much do as I pleased, so I was able to read the books in my father’s library that he never read: the books that his grandfather, a gentleman of the Enlightened Age************* saw fit to procure. By the time I was old enough to be noticed, and packed off to the von Nyssens in Charlottenburg to be finished off, I was so well read about the world that my parents would have been horrified, had they known. Being toadies towards Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, they doubtless hoped that through the von Nyssens, I would meet some dull German grand duke: a Mecklenburg-Strelitz************** or a Mecklenburg-Schwerin***************.” She smiles wistfully. “What they didn’t reckon on was me meeting a wealthy Bostonian Francophile heir to a corsetry empire visiting friends in Charlottenburg. My parents couldn’t complain of a love match when Harrison’s prospects were so good.”
“Well, you were lucky then.” Lettice agrees.
“And now Nettie is able to marry for love too,” Clemance says gaily. “And without our parents being alive, there is no-one to stand in his way.”
Lettice tries not to let the discomfort she feels at the mention of a love match between she and Sir John show. Their engagement is based on anything but love, but idealistic Clemance is unaware of the arrangement Lettice has made with her brother, nor is she aware of any of his string of sexual liaisons he has had and currently has with actresses and chorus girls on either side of the English Channel.
Blissfully unaware of the inner tumult she has caused Lettice, Clemance goes on, “And how do you like your room, Lettice my dear?”
“Oh it’s,” Lettice begins as she tries to think of a polite way to couch her room in Rippon Court. “Very grand, Clemance.”
“Always the diplomat.” Clemance chuckles. “Please, let’s sit,” She indicates to a vacant chair by the fire to Lettice with a sweeping gesture. “Nettie won’t be long, and then we can have an apéritif together before going in to dinner.”
After the two have settled themselves in their respective seats, smoothing out their dinner frocks and straightening their necklaces, Clemance goes on. “Be honest, Lettice my dear. It’s a shocking room, isn’t it?”
“Oh I wouldn’t say shocking.” Lettice replies in defence of her accommodation. “I’m sure in the summer months it isn’t anywhere near so gloomy as it appears now, but it is rather draughty and cold, even with the fire the maid lit in the grate.”
“Yes, and like every other bedroom in this god forsaken house, it has an appallingly lumpy mattress. However, it really is quite the nicest of the guest bedrooms Rippon Court has to offer.”
Lettice ponders for a moment, glancing around the room at the heavy and dark stained old furniture, paintings of horses, cattle and dogs and formal – rather than comfortable – chairs and sofas, before saying, “I don’t understand Clemance.”
“Hhhmmm?” Clemance queries from her Knole seat. “What don’t you understand, Lettice my dear?”
“I don’t understand why, with all his fortune, John hasn’t tried to… well, buck the place up a little with some fresh paint and more comfortable furnishings.” She paused for a moment. “I mean, I’m not suggesting that he instal ducted heating, or a bathroom for every bedroom, but maybe a few more creature comforts. Having seen his Belgravia town house and Fontengil Park, I know how tasteful his interiors are. Rippon Court doesn’t strike me as John’s style at all.”
Clemance chuckles again before staring off into the golden orange flames licking around a great chunk of wood taken from the heaped basket by the stone fireplace. “Well, as you might have worked out, Lettice my dear, Rippon Court isn’t exactly Nettie’s favourite place, nor mine for that matter.”
“No,” Lettice replies. “I didn’t know that. I just thought that being further south, and closer to London, John preferred Fontengil Park and the Wiltshire countryside.”
“Oh he does,” Clemance concurs. “And Fontengil Park is so much more compact and comfortable than this draughty old place, and as you have noted, being the astute interior designer that you are, far more to his tastes.”
Lettice looks across the petit-point footstool, strewn with magazines and periodicals about country pursuits, to Clemance, who suddenly seems to have lots her vitality and looks a decade older than when the three of them left Glynes to trave up to Rippon Court. As she sits languidly in her seat, it seems as though the house has absorbed her essence, and even her beautiful cape to keep out the cold and draughts seems now to hang off her, rather than sit elegantly across her delicate shoulders.
“Why do you and John not like Rippon Court, Clemance?”
Clemance sighs, her shoulders rising and falling, before going on without taking her gaze away from the fire. “Rippon Court holds no good memories for either of us, Lettice my dear, unlike your own dear Glynes, which is a childhood home of happiness.”
“What happened?”
“Well, you heard me say just before that I was the lucky one, being bundled off to Germany to be married off to a grand duke.” When Lettice nods, even though Clemance is not looking at her, she senses Lettice’s movement and she continues, “Poor Nettie being the heir, didn’t have such an easy time. Both my parents enjoyed outdoor pursuits. Imagine their horror when they found themselves lumbered with a son who was as equally bookish as me.”
“They didn’t approve of John’s more academic inclination, then?”
Clemance sucks in a deep and awkward breath, turns and looks at Lettice with screwed up lips and a painful look in her eyes. “No, they were not!” She releases her pent-up breath. “They were horrified: disgusted.”
“By John’s intelligence?”
“Our mother most certainly wanted a stupid son: one who would enjoy the pursuits they did, and who would look fine on horseback and cut a dashing figure like our father did when he was young. Our father didn’t understand Nettie, and nor did he try.”
“But there is a chess set over there.” Lettice points to a gleaming metal chess set, set up on an ivory and ebony inlaid board between two chairs, ready to be used. “They must have had some intellectual interests, or enjoyed strategic games at least.”
“It was all for show, Lettice my dear. The books in Father’s library, the chess set. It was all meant to give the veneer of intelligence and civility, but in truth, our parents were dolts, and brutish ones at that.” Clemance’s look grows darker. “Do you remember me telling Léonie Dupont in the same story about our parents ands how different Nettie and I were to them, that we’d bribe our governesses when we were children with promises of good behaviour and no procrastination at bedtime to lie to our parents and say they hadn’t seen us when they came looking for either Nettie or both of us to join in the hunt.”
“I do. You mentioned you used to hide in a tower here, where you used to keep some books.”
“The Book Tower, we called it,” Clemance says wistfully. “You must remind Nettie to show it to you, Lettice my dear.”
“I hope he will.”
“Well, what I didn’t share with Léonie and Marcel, was the darker side of the tale. When we were found out by our parents, they both used to beat us for not being the children they wanted. Mother used a riding crop, and Father’s favourite was a leather strop*************** he used to sharpen his cutthroat razors**************** with. I took thrashings from them both, but for every one of mine, there were four or more for poor Nettie. Many was an evening when we would go to bed, sore and sorry, because we were caught reading or performing some other perceived misdemeanour by our furious parents. The slightest infraction…” Her voice trails off.
“That’d horrible, Clemance!” Lettice exclaims in horror. “I am truly sorry that this shared history has been suffered by you both, and at the hands of your parents!”
“I told you, Lettice. You are lucky. You have kind and caring parents, who love you.”
“Why did John receive more beatings than you, Clemance?”
“Because my dear, Nettie’s pursuits were considered to be undignified of the son of Sir Roderick and Lady Agnes Nettleford-Hughes. Appreciation of literature, music and the arts were far too sissified***************** for them. If he wasn’t going to give them up willingly, they would have to thrash it out of him.” Clemance sighs deeply again, just as one of the logs finally breaks, collapsing in two pieces into the grate with a swish and a soft and hollow thud. “And that was when Nettie changed. He didn’t break under their will, but rather grew steelier, and stronger. He learned to keep his inner self and desires hidden from public view at all costs. It was a coping mechanism, a survival instinct. Long after I’d gone to Germany, and then after I was married and lived in France, Nettie still used the Book Tower to hide the things he truly loved, and he filled it with his paints and books. It was only after our father finally died, he was preceded by our mother by more than a decade, that Nettie truly came out of his shell.” Clemance falls silent and thinks. “Even now, I’m sure there are still things that he doesn’t share with me.”
“Why do you think that, Clemance?” Lettice ventures, knowing full well that there is truth in what her future sister-in-law says. “You’re so close.”
“We are close, Lettice, but after I was sent away and then married, a wedge was formed between us. We had been bound before that by a shared experience, an experience I then escaped, and of course the pressure mounted for Nettie to conform, to bend to the will of our parents as the heir, pressure I never had as the unwanted daughter.”
The two fall into an awkward silence, with only the deep ticking of the clock and the rumble of one of the half burned logs settling a little more in the hearth.
“I do think that is why Nettie never married before now, you know.”
“Because of your parents?” Lettice asks.
“Yes. They would never have approved of you as chatelaine of this house, Lettice my dear, much less their heir’s spouse. You would have been far too well read, refined and appreciative of the finer things in life.”
“I enjoy country pursuits as well, you know, Clemance.” Lettice defends. “I was born in Wiltshire, after all, and I do ride horses.”
Clemance tilts her head and looks at Lettice thoughtfully, observing her as she sits opposite her in the elegant tube frock of soft French blue***************** designed by Gerald that so flatters her pale skin and blonde tresses and fits her frame like a glove. Lettice’s soft Marcelled waves******************* are affixed by winking diamond pins, and a necklace of diamonds she recognises as belonging to her maternal grandmother rests across her collar bones.
“However, I don’t imagine when you meet His Royal Highness in a few days’ time, that tweed is all you will wear, Lettice my dear.”
“Certainly not!” Lettice raises her evening glove clad hand to her throat. “I will of course wear a tweed suit suitable for the occasion, but I have that lovely silk scarf you saw me buy in Paris at my throat, the loveliest diamond and pearl studded platinum brooch on my lapel. I also have a natty little hat to wear at a jaunty angle.”
“And that, my dear, is why you would never have received my parents’ approval.” Clemance smiles. “You may be from the country, but Wiltshire with all its refined tastes is a far cry from my parents and their parochial view of the world. Mother would never have let jewellery, or a silk scarf however elegant, clutter her tweeds or hunting attire.”
“But John approved my choices, Clemance.” Lettice defends. “He even leant me the brooch, which was one of your grandmother’s, he tells me.”
“Of course he approves, Lettice my dear,” Clemance smiles. “Because unlike our parents, he has style and panache, and he recognises that in you. I’m sure His Highness will approve when he sees the way you are attired too. And Nettie has chosen you, Lettice my dear.” She reaches out to Lettice, who reflects her stance, reaching out her own hand to Clemance, who grasps it tightly and squeezes it. “Finally, he has someone with whom I hope he will share all his experiences, even the more difficult ones in his life. I cannot tell you how happy I am that after so many years of bachelorhood, that Nettie is finally choosing to marry.” She lets Lettice’s hand go and sinks back into her seat. “I couldn’t be happier. I worried that he would never have anyone he deemed worthy of his love and affection, and then, you appeared.” She laughs lightly.
Lettice suddenly feels pangs of guilt as she realises that, of course, Clemance has no more of an idea than Sir John does, that she is doubting her pending nuptials******************** to the man. She senses the colour draining from her face, however she is saved from Clemance’s potential scrutiny by a gentle tapping at the door to the drawing room before Huntley, the Rippon Court butler, steps in with a silver salver in his hand, clearing his throat as he does.
“Yes? What is it, Huntley?” Clemance asks.
“Beg pardon, Mrs. Pontefract, but Mr. Jenkins’ lad has just cycled up from Potton*********************.”
“And what of it, Huntley?” Clemance asks, unable to hide the irritation at being disturbed for such a seemingly illogical reason by the manservant.
“Well, the Jenkins boy works for Mr. Snape the postmaster, and he has cycled up here with a telegram for Miss Lettice.” the Butler nods with difference toward Lettice.
“Me?” Lettice queries.
“Yes, Miss.” Huntley replies, walking across the room and up to where Lettice sits, holding out the salver to her, presenting her with the telegram envelope and a thin silver letter opener with an ivory handle.
Lettice picks up the envelope and using the opener’s sharp blade expertly, she slits it open with a crisp tear. She deposits the opener back on the tray, and withdrawing the telegram, she quickly scans it. From Gerald it reads, ‘Hope you arrived safely. STOP. No news from Pinkerton yet. STOP. Stay strong and Good luck. STOP. Gerald. STOP’.
“Nothing serious, I hope,” Clemance says, sitting forward in her seat, a look of concern on her face as she observes Lettice’s own face that is crumpled in concentration.
Thinking quickly, Lettice assures her, “No. No. It’s from Gerald, just wishing us a pleasant stay, and telling me that he is returned from Sylvia’s.”
“Oh, that’s very good of him.” Clemance replies, smiling cheerfully as she settles again. “I do like your friend Gerald.”
“Ahem. Beg pardon, Miss.” Huntley says, clearing his throat politely. “Jenkin’s lad is in the kitchen.”
“Make sure Mrs. Tabner gives him something to eat for his trouble, cycling all the way up here in the cold, won’t you, Huntley.” Clemance interrupts.
“Yes, Ma’am.” the butler replies. “He is waiting to see if there is a reply, Miss.” he addresses Lettice.
“Oh, tell him, no, Mr. Huntley.” Lettice replies. “I’m sure he’ll be glad not to have to cycle back up here from the village with further telegrams.”
“Very good, Miss.” Mr. Huntley replies as he starts to retreat.
“Oh, would you put that on my dressing table in my room, Huntley.” Lettice asks him.
“Very good, Miss.” he replies, accepting the telegram in its envelope from Lettice in his white glove clad hand before retreating.
“Evening Huntly,” Sir John’s voice booms from the corridor.
“Good evening, Milord.” Huntley replies obsequiously.
Then Sir John enters the room, dressed in a fine Jermyn Street********************** tailored set of tails, cutting a very dashing figure. “Good evening. Lettice my dear, Clemmie.”
Both ladies green Sir John as he wends his way though the Victorian clutter of the room until he stands next to Lettice. She graciously allows him to kiss her on the lips with a quick peck, before moving on to Clemance and kissing her on her proffered right cheek*********************** lightly before doing the same on her left.
“And how are we this evening?” he asks brightly. “Was that a telegram I saw in Huntley’s hand just now?”
“It was John dear,” Lettice answers. “It was just from Gerald.”
“No bad news I hope.”
“No,” Lettice assures him. “He was only making sure that we all arrived here safely.” she lies.
“You know, I never really liked him very much at first, Lettice my dear, but after Sylvia’s house party at her country cottage, he’s grown on me, and I’ve come to realise that he is a good man, is Gerald. Especially to you, Lettice.”
“Well, he’s my oldest chum from childhood.” Lettice replies. “We’ve grown up together and he knows me better than I think my own siblings do.”
“I was just saying how nice Gerald is, dear Nettie.” Clemance agrees. “He’s such a lovely chap.” She turns her attentions back to Lettice. “I just need to figure out how to convince your mother to giving her approval to him making your wedding frock. I don’t know why Sadie is being so stubborn about it Lettice my dear. I know how much it means to you. Surely she does too!”
Lettice doesn’t answer, but feels the flush in her cheeks as she blushes at the mention of the wedding frock.
Luckily, she doesn’t have to say anything before Sir John speaks up. “Ready for dinner? I am! I must confess the drive over from Glynes has made me ravenous.”
“I was just talking to Lettice about the house, ghastly old pile that it is,” Clemance goes on. “But I did mention the Book Tower as the haven it was for us when we were children. You must show it to Lettice whilst we’re here you know, if she is to be chatelaine of the house.”
“Yes, I’m very keen to see it, John my dear.” Lettice says gently, her heart filled with a sudden flush of compassion as she considers all that Clemance has revealed about how poorly her fiancée was treated by his parents.
“That’s a capital idea, Clemmie darling!” Sir John enthuses. I’ll show you tomorrow, Lettice my dear. I know you’ll like it.”
“Thank you John.” Lettice replies.
In the hallway outside, a sonorous boom of the dinner gong can be heard as Huntley hits it with his fabric wrapped striker.
“Right!” Sir John says brightly. “Shall we go into the dining room then?”
*Baronial style, primarily Scottish Baronial, is a Nineteenth Century Gothic Revival architectural style mimicking medieval Scottish castles, featuring crow-stepped gables, conical towers (tourelles/witches\' hats), battlements, and turrets, creating a romantic, fortified look with asymmetrical plans and heavy stonework, heavily popularized by Sir Walter Scott\'s Abbotsford. It blends Scottish vernacular with French and Gothic elements, evolving from fortified tower houses into grand country homes and public buildings.
**A charger plate is a large, decorative base plate used in formal place settings that is not meant to come into direct contact with food. Also known as a service plate or underplate, its purpose is to add visual appeal to a table, protect the tablecloth from spills and crumbs, and provide a base for subsequent dinner plates and courses. Charger plates are typically placed before guests arrive and are removed by servers after the main course is finished.
***Repoussé (pronounced “rep-oh-say”) is a metalworking technique where designs are created by hammering from the back of a metal sheet, pushing it up into a raised relief on the front. It\'s a French word meaning “pushed up”. The term can also refer to the resulting raised design itself.
****The original Knole Settee (also known as the Knole Sofa) is a couch chair that was made in the 17th century, probably around 1640. It is housed at Knole in Kent, a house owned by the Sackville-West family since 1605 but now in the care of the National Trust. It was originally used not as a comfortable sofa but as a formal throne-like seat on which an aristocrat or monarch would have sat to receive visitors. It was wide enough that a monarch and consort could be seated side by side. As of 2021, it is kept at Knole House in a transparent case.
*****Edwardian Tango Shoes are stylish, high-fashion, lace-up boots from the 1900s-1920s, characterized by their seductive design with high shafts, decorative tabs, and ribbon laces, intended to showcase the dancer\'s legs and colorful stockings during the popular Tango dance craze. Made from materials like dyed leather, velvet, or silk, they featured French heels for height and balance, reflecting the sensuous nature of the dance.
******A Turkish rug (also known as an Anatolian rug) is a hand-knotted textile from Turkey, known for its vibrant colours, intricate geometric or floral patterns, and exceptional durability, often using the symmetrical "Turkish knot" (Ghiordes knot) and natural dyes from wool or silk, reflecting rich cultural history and symbolism. They range from flat-woven kilims to plush pile rugs, serving both decorative and functional purposes, and are considered treasured art forms representing centuries of tradition.
*******Bloodsports are sports or entertainment involving bloodshed, pain, and suffering, typically between animals or humans, like cockfighting, dog fighting, bullfighting, and often including certain types of hunting (like fox hunting or hare coursing) where killing or severe harm is integral to the "sport". These activities are often illegal and controversial today, focusing on violent combat for gambling or amusement, rather than traditional, regulated field sports like normal hunting or fishing. However, in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, fox hunting, grouse shooting and hare coursing were not only commonplace amongst the aristocracy, but a standard part of the London Season, with wealthy families decamping London and retreating to country estates before Christmas to pursue the hunting season and the county balls that went with them throughout January and February.
********The Tuileries Garden is a public garden between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the first arrondissement of Paris. Created by Catherine de\' Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was opened to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution. Since the Nineteenth Century, it has been a place for Parisians to celebrate, meet, stroll and relax.
*********A steeplechase is a long-distance race involving both galloping and jumping over obstacles, primarily fences and water jumps. In horse racing, steeplechases involve horses jumping over various obstacles like fences and ditches.
**********“Blooding” is a tradition in bloodsports extending back centuries. In shooting and stalking, a person\'s face is smeared with the blood of the first animal they kill. In hunting with hounds, a person is blooded by the first kill they are present for. It is, in essence, a gruesome coming of age ritual.
***********In the UK, hare coursing (now illegal) is the bloodsport of using dogs (like greyhounds) to chase, catch, and kill brown hares, often for gambling. Based on old country traditions, it takes place on open land, especially after harvest when crops are cleared.
************The term "Neanderthal" was first used in 1864 when Irish geologist William King proposed the species name Homo neanderthalensis for the fossils found in Germany\'s Neander Valley. However, the first known use of "Neanderthal" to describe the fossil itself dates to 1874 in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
*************The Age of Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) was a powerful Eighteenth Century European intellectual and cultural movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and scientific inquiry over tradition and faith, promoting ideals like liberty, tolerance, constitutional government, and progress, challenging religious orthodoxy and advocating for rational solutions to societal problems, heavily influencing the American and French Revolutions.
**************Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a historical territory in northern Germany that existed as a duchy and later a grand duchy, with capitals in Neustrelitz and Strelitz. It was established in 1701 as the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and was elevated to the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1815 before being dissolved in 1918 after the German Revolution. Today, the territory is part of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
***************The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a territory in Northern Germany held by the House of Mecklenburg residing at Schwerin. It was a sovereign member state of the German Confederation and became a federated state of the North German Confederation and finally of the German Empire in 1871.
***************A strop is a flexible strip (usually leather) or surface used for the final stage of sharpening blades like razors, knives, and chisels to polish, straighten, and refine their edge, removing any burrs left by stones, often with an applied compound for ultra-fine honing.
****************A cutthroat razor, also called a straight razor, is a classic, single-blade razor with a sharp, flick-out blade that folds into its handle, offering an exceptionally close shave but requiring skill, stropping, and careful maintenance for safe use. It\'s known for its smooth results, less irritation than disposables, and environmental benefits, though it demands practice and caution due to its open blade design, which can resemble a pocket knife or flick knife. The name comes from its extremely sharp, exposed blade, which, if used carelessly or incorrectly, can easily cut the skin.
*****************The word "sissy" first appeared in American English around the 1840s-1850s as a term for "sister," but its modern derogatory sense, meaning an effeminate or weak boy/man, emerged later in the late 1880s, between 1885 and 1890 (which would have been around the time Clemance married her American fiancée, Harrison, making her use of the word not unusual having been influenced by her husband’s vernacular throughout forty years of marriage). This shift marked a tightening of gender expectations for boys around the turn of the 20th century, moving away from earlier times when young boys were closely associated with mothers and less rigid gender roles.
******************French blue is a versatile, elegant coluor, generally a medium to deep, somewhat muted blue with grey or indigo undertones, evoking calm sophistication, often linked to French military uniforms or historic pigments like ultramarine, and used widely in fashion, interiors, and branding for its timeless appeal.
*******************Marcelling is a hair styling technique in which hot curling tongs are used to induce a curl into the hair. Its appearance was similar to that of a finger wave but it is created using a different method. Marcelled hair was a popular style for women\'s hair in the 1920s, often in conjunction with a bob cut. For those women who had longer hair, it was common to tie the hair at the nape of the neck and pin it above the ear with a stylish hair pin or flower. One famous wearer was American entertainer, Josephine Baker.
********************Nuptials is an alternative word for marriage. The term “nuptials” emphasizes the ceremonial and legal aspects of a marriage, lending a more formal tone to wedding communications and documentation.
*********************Potton is an historic market town known for its Georgian square, and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district, about ten miles east of the county town of Bedford. The parish had a population of a few thousand in the 1920s, so it was significant enough to have a railway station, and a post and telegraph office. In 1783 the Great Fire of Potton destroyed a large part of the town. The parish church dates from the Thirteenth Century, and it is dedicated to Saint Mary. Potton\'s horse fairs were some of the largest in the country.
**********************Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St James\'s area of the City of Westminster in London. It is to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly. Jermyn Street is known as a street for high end gentlemen\'s clothing retailers and bespoke tailors in the West End.
**********************In polite society in Britain in the 1920s, the common social gesture when greeting a family member, a friend or acquaintance was to proffer the right cheek first, with both people lightly "kissing the air" while their cheeks touch. This was then often followed by a "kiss" on the left cheek, making it a "double-cheek kiss" if the people were well known to one another.
***********************A dinner gong is a large metal disc, commonly made of brass, struck with a mallet to create a loud, resonant sound, historically used in large homes, hotels, and ships during Victorian and Edwardian times to summon people to meals, signal events, or call for attention, serving as a practical and decorative household item.
This grand Georgian interior may appear like something out of a historical stately country house, but it is in fact part of my 1:12 miniatures collection and includes items from my childhood, as well as those I have collected as an adult, including some very special pieces made just for me.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
Central to our image is a very special miniature piece belonging to me. Made painstakingly by hand, the fireplace was made by my very dear Flickr friend and artist Kim Hagar BKHagar *Kim*), who surprised me with this amazing handmade fireplace as a Christmas gift last year, with the intention that I use it in my miniatures photos. Each stone has been individually cut, made and then worn to give texture before being stuck to the backing board and then painted. The only real part of the fireplace is the thick wooden mantle. She has created several floors in the same way for some of her own miniature projects which you can see in her “In Miniature” album here: www.flickr.com/photos/bkhagar_gallery/albums/721777203007....
On the mantle is a large collection of silver trophies. The tiny horses also come from my friend Kim (BKHagar *Kim*) and were sent to me last Christmas as well. Other pieces, like the large trophies, the strawberry bowl, the lidded biscuit sachet, the tankards and the Georgian jug were made by Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality and detail applied to their pieces. The plates at the back of the mantle and around the walls, the other tankards, the trophy on the far right of the mantlepiece, the small jug on the fat left of the mantlepiece and the Georgian style water jug on the Elizabethan court cupboard to the right of the photo are 1:12 artisan miniatures made of sterling silver by unknown artists. They all came from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls House Shop.
The beautiful 1:12 size chess set is an artisan piece. To give you an idea of size, the pawns are only two millimetres in height! There are two wooden drawers beneath the board to house the pieces when not in use, and what is really wonderful is that the chess board surface is magnetic, which holds each metal piece nicely in place until moved!
The Knole sofa and chair you can see are hand made artisan pieces with cream velvet upholstery and dyed oak knobs with the sides and back fastened with braid that has been made by American miniature artisan Peter Cluff. Although not commissioned by me, he has made several beautiful pieces of fine miniature furniture just for me over time. The cushions on it, feature the Morris ‘Strawberry Thief’ pattern and a Morris and Co embroidery of hares in 1:12 size, and came from an American seller on E-Bay.
The two gothic style chairs with cream Regency stripe upholstery are made by the high-end miniature furniture manufacturer, Bespaq.
The large embroidered footstool in front of the fireplace was made by the high-end miniature furniture maker, Bespaq, but what is particularly special about it is that it has been covered in antique English floral micro petite point by V.H. Miniatures in the United Kingdom, which makes this a one-of-a-kind piece. The artisan who made this says that as one of her hobbies, she enjoys visiting old National Trust Houses in the hope of getting some inspiration to help her create new and exciting miniatures. She saw some beautiful petit point chairs a few years ago in one of the big houses in Derbyshire and then found exquisitely detailed petit point that was fine enough for 1:12 scale projects.
The small round footstool next to it has been hand embroidered as well, and was acquired from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls House Shop in the united Kingdom.
The books on the table in the foreground of the photograph and the magazines and newspapers fanned out on the large footstool before the fireplace are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. Most of the books I own that he has made may be opened to reveal authentic printed interiors. In some cases, you can even read the words, depending upon the size of the print! I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection, but so little of his real artistry is seen because the books that he specialised in making are usually closed, sitting on shelves or closed on desks and table surfaces. These books are amongst the rarer exceptions that have been designed not to be opened. Nevertheless, the covers are copies of real Victorian bindings. What might amaze you even more is that all Ken Blythe’s books and magazines are authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make this a miniature artisan piece. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago, as well as through his estate via his daughter and son-in-law. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.
The copy of Country Life in the foreground was printed and made by me, taken from an original copy of Country Life from 1925.
The tall Georgian longcase grandfather clock to the left of the fireplace I have had since I was about ten years old. Although it does not work, it does have hanging pendulums and chains inside the longcase, as the door can be opened to reveal the interior.
The walnut pedestal table is a hand lathed and fashioned walnut artisan miniature, made by miniature artist John Ottewell in 2006. It, the silver plate on its surface and the vase of roses in the silver filigree bowl came from Kathleen Knight’s Doll’s House Shop. So too does the Elizabethan court cupboard on the right hand side of the photograph.
The yellow roses in the foreground were made by Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering.
The paintings above the fireplace in its gilded frame is a 1:12 artisan piece made by Amber’s Miniatures in the United States, whilst the painting of the hunting dogs to the left comes from Marie makes Miniatures in the United Kingdom.
The basket of wooden logs, the metal fireplace surround and stand of pokers also come from Kathleen Knight’s Doll’s House Shop.
The wallpaper is a copy of authentic early Victorian patterned paper.
The Persian rug on the floor has been woven by Pike, Pike and Company in the United Kingdom.
I made this repousse bookmark from 26 gauge copper sheet; the Sanskrit word means "Peace." ( I made the globe knot, too.)
La chouette
La chouette est un motif funéraire depuis l’Antiquité. Il lui est accordée de nombreuses vertus notamment celle de pouvoir voir, grâce à ses grands yeux, à travers les ténèbres. C’est donc un symbole de connaissance et de survie à travers la mort. On la retrouve souvent sur les tombes des intellectuels car elle rappelle aussi la sagesse. Au XIXème siècle, on porte une attention particulière au patrimoine et à l’Antiquité ; la chouette pouvant se trouver sur des tombes de ces temps anciens, les passionnés l’ont alors reprise pour leurs dernières demeures.
LE SYMBOLISME FUNÉRAIRE DE LA CHOUETTE
La chouette est connue avant tout dans l'Antiquité grecque comme
l'attribut d'Athéna et les figurations les plus abondantes que nous en
avons sont assurément les images qui ornent le revers des monnaies
athéniennes dites «glaucophores». Mais, près d'un millénaire plus tôt,
des documents mycéniens mis au jour dans le Péloponnèse nous
donnent une première illustration du motif, sous forme de petites
chouettes en feuille d'or repoussées. Ces pièces ont été trouvées dans la
tholos A de Kakovatos d'abord (fig. 1) *, puis dans les tombes à coupole
n° IV d'Ano Englianos 2 et n° 3 de Peristeria, par Sp. Marinatos 3, puis
par G. St. Korres4.
L'incorporation de ces figures au mobilier funéraire n'est certes pas
un hasard et on cherchera ici à éclairer la signification qu'il convient de
leur attribuer. Dans un article des Athenische Mitteilungen qui faisait
suite à ses découvertes de Peristeria, Sp. Marinatos proposait en 1968
une interprétation de ces chouettes en or 5. Il y voyait l'image d'une
divinité de la mort, apparentée à la Lilith orientale, et reconnaissait cette
déesse-chouette dans certaines figures orientales et égéennes, figure
hybride du relief Burney, statuettes iraniennes du début du premier
millénaire, idoles chypriotes du Bronze récent et statuettes mycéniennes
de kourotrophos. Mais l'existence d'une telle déesse-chouette est loin
d'être aussi assurée. Même si l'on fait abstraction des doutes émis à Burney6 montre seulement une divinité ailée à serres de rapace
entourée de deux chouettes. Les indices avancés d'autre part pour
reconnaître les traits de l'oiseau nocturne dans la tête des statuettes
iraniennes - face pleine et ronde, plus large que haute, bec busqué,
absence de bouche, oreilles perforées, yeux ronds de grandes
dimensions 7 - sont loin d'être aussi convaincants que le voudrait Sp.
Marinatos 8. La même remarque vaut pour les idoles chypriotes 9, où
les mêmes indices paraissent bien insuffisants pour justifier
proposée. Enfin, rien ne permet raisonnablement d'admettre
que «s'il s'agit d'une déesse de la mort du type de Lilith, on a alors
affaire à la Mère qui prend sous sa protection les défunts abandonnés,
pareils à des enfants, et les conduit dans l'au-delà» 10, et encore moins
que «cette même conception peut expliquer certains types de statuettes
mycéniennes de kourotrophos» u.
Les faits, en réalité, ne nous autorisent pas à aller ainsi jusqu'à
d'une divinité dont l'image serait figurée sous la forme d'une
femme à tête de chouette. Les trouvailles des tombes du Péloponnèse
permettent seulement d'observer que la figure de l'oiseau de nuit était
incorporée au mobilier funéraire et qu'à ce titre elle était probablement
chargée d'une signification symbolique en rapport avec la mort.
Peut-on s'en étonner? Les allusions à ce symbolisme funéraire sont
nombreuses chez les auteurs anciens. Si la chouette est oiseau de mauvais augure....
Le Sabbath (1909) est l’illustration typique de cette religiosité chère à Chagall et par le choix des couleurs, la toile s’apparente aux courants de la peinture expressionniste. En fait, cette toile, première oeuvre parisienne de Chagall, s’inspire surtout de Van Gogh, tout comme l’Atelier (1910) qui reprend jusqu’au style tourmenté des chaises et certaines couleurs (vert,jaune). Six personnages sont assemblés pour célébrer le sabbath et semblent vivre hors du temps. Ou plutôt, c’est le temps religieux qui l’emporte sur le temps humain. L’obsession du temps est symbolisée par l’horloge, seul objet qui surgit sur ces murs nus. La disposition des corps se réfère à cette dimension d’attente : l’un des personnages prie, un autre est couché, un autre encore, affalé sur une chaise, est disloqué comme un pantin. Le temps semble s’être arrêté. On aperçoit un coin de ciel étoilé par la fenêtre obscurcie. Deux sortes de lumières éclairent la pièce : la lumière matérielle du plafonnier et celle des bougies disposées sur la table pour la cérémonie. L’essentiel de la scène est pris dans ce halo de lumière, qui focalise l’attention et le regard sur la cérémonie et repousse le reste e la pièce dans l’arrière-plan. Méditatifs ou fatigués, les personnages sont prisonniers des symboles et du temps. Le choix des couleurs (cette lumière jaune verdâtre en particulier) montre que Chagall s’est inspiré de Van Gogh et plus spécialement de la toile Café de nuit. Il lui emprunte un certain vide, la position des personnages perdus dans un rêve, l’atmosphère du mystère. On notera la violence des contrastes de couleurs rouge, vert, jaune, qui marquent la plupart des toiles à cette époque. La trace de l’influence de Van Gogh se retrouve jusque dans l’aspect pâteux de la couleur. Mais alors que Café de nuit suggère le passage répétitif et monotone du temps, Sabbath marque l’irruption du spirituel dans le temps quotidien. Perdus dans la nuit, ils sont dans l’attente et dans le silence de la fatigue ou de la prière. On imagine le tic-tac monotone de l’horloge.
Jean-Michel Palmier
The Sabbath (1909) is the typical illustration of this religiosity dear to Chagall and through the choice of colors, the canvas is similar to the movements of expressionist painting. In fact, this painting, Chagall's first Parisian work, is mainly inspired by Van Gogh, just like the Atelier (1910) which even takes up the tormented style of the chairs and certain colors (green, yellow). Six characters are assembled to celebrate the Sabbath and seem to live outside of time. Or rather, it is religious time which prevails over human time. The obsession with time is symbolized by the clock, the only object that appears on these bare walls. The arrangement of the bodies refers to this dimension of waiting: one of the characters is praying, another is lying down, yet another, slumped on a chair, is dislocated like a puppet. Time seems to have stopped. We can see a patch of starry sky through the darkened window. Two kinds of lights illuminate the room: the material light of the ceiling light and that of the candles placed on the table for the ceremony. Most of the scene is taken up in this halo of light, which focuses attention and the gaze on the ceremony and pushes the rest of the room into the background. Meditative or tired, the characters are prisoners of symbols and time. The choice of colors (this greenish yellow light in particular) shows that Chagall was inspired by Van Gogh and more specifically by the painting Café de nuit. It borrows a certain emptiness, the position of the characters lost in a dream, the atmosphere of mystery. Note the violent contrasts of red, green and yellow colors, which mark most of the paintings at this time. The trace of Van Gogh's influence can be found even in the pasty appearance of the color. But while Café de nuit suggests the repetitive and monotonous passage of time, Sabbath marks the irruption of the spiritual into everyday time. Lost in the night, they are waiting and in the silence of fatigue or prayer. We imagine the monotonous ticking of the clock.
Jean-Michel Palmier
La Statue de la Liberté - La Liberté éclairant le monde.
La Liberté éclairant le monde1 (Liberty Enlightening The World), plus connue sous le nom de Statue de la Liberté (Statue Of Liberty), est l'un des monuments les plus célèbres des États-Unis. Cette statue monumentale est située à New York, sur l'île de Liberty Island au sud de Manhattan, à l'embouchure de l'Hudson et à proximité d' Ellis Island.
Elle fut construite en France et offerte par le peuple français, en signe d'amitié entre les deux nations, pour célébrer le centenaire de la Déclaration d'indépendance américaine. La statue fut découverte au grand jour le 28 octobre 1886 en présence du président des États-Unis, Grover Cleveland. L'idée venait du juriste et professeur au Collège de France Édouard de Laboulaye, en 1865. Le projet fut confié, en 1871, au sculpteur français Auguste Bartholdi. Pour le choix des cuivres devant être employés à la construction, l'architecte Eugène Viollet-le-Duc eut l'idée de la technique du repoussé. En 1879, à la mort de Viollet-le-Duc, Bartholdi fit appel à l'ingénieur Gustave Eiffel pour décider de la structure interne de la statue. Ce dernier imagina un pylône métallique supportant les plaques de cuivre martelées et fixées.
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_de_la_Liberté
___________________________________________
The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor, in Manhattan, New York City. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.
Bartholdi was inspired by French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye, who is said to have commented in 1865 that any monument raised to American independence would properly be a joint project of the French and American peoples. Due to the troubled political situation in France, work on the statue did not commence until the early 1870s. In 1875, Laboulaye proposed that the French finance the statue and the Americans provide the site and build the pedestal. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions.
The torch-bearing arm was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, in 1876, and in New York's Madison Square Park from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened due to lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World started a drive for donations to complete the project that attracted more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. The statue was constructed in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.
Just having some fun with it...Explore #32 (highest pos.)
The Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island New York, shot from Battery Park through pier marker #1, using Canon 70-200mm. I originally planned to take the ferry to Liberty Island but I got there too late, so i had to improvise...
The Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), is a monument that was presented by the people of France to the United States of America in 1886 to celebrate its centennial. Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans traveling by ship. The copper-clad statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and was given to the United States by France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue and obtained a U.S. patent for its structure.Maurice Koechlin—chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower—engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper in the statue's construction and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. (Wikipedia)
Silver repoussé panels overlaid with electrum foil. Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals.
These panels probably decorated a parade-chariot or a piece of furniture. They show two riders with a fallen comrade below; and a sphinx and two lions, one attacking a boar. The fine composition and style show the influence from the Greek cities of Asia Minor.
Etruscan, 540-520 BCE. Found in 1812 at the Castel San Mariano near Perugia in a rich tomb.
British Museum, London (1824,0420+.1,2,3)
"Regrowth"
Forêt domaniale d'Aitone (Evisa - Corse du sud)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
www.flickriver.com/photos/pat21/sets/
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
The monumental doors in the late 13th-century Qalawun Complex in old Cairo. Spectacular geometric tessellations are created in a variety of techniques, in this case primarily repoussé.
L'herbe a bien repoussée depuis les foins. Je n'ai vu les 2 oreilles du rouquin qu'au dernier moment.
La place Royale est un ensemble fabuleux qui nous transporte en Nouvelle-France. Ce site avait été choisi par Samuel de Champlain pour fonder, en 1608, un établissement français permanent qui de poste de traite deviendra la ville que l’on connaît. Les maisons de pierres calcaires provenant des environs de Québec sont une des caractéristiques les plus typiques de la place.
La place est dominée par l’église de pierre Notre-Dame-des-Victoires datant de 1688, dédiée à Sainte Geneviève et reconstruite en 1763 après le siège de Québec. Pour un peu, on croirait voir, dans l’église, des dames de la colonie agenouillées devant la statue de la Vierge. Elles avaient promis d’y venir en pèlerinage si le gouverneur Frontenac libérait Québec des Anglais. Le 16 octobre 1690, leur vœu se réalisa. Après trois jours de siège, la flotte anglaise était repoussée. Fallait-il remercier la Vierge? Ou plutôt Frontenac, qui avait menacé l’amiral Phipps de lui répondre par la bouche de ses canons?
Au sortir de l’église, érigée sur l’emplacement de l’"Habitation" de Champlain, on se trouve face maison Bruneau. Celle-ci fut reconstruite en 1791 par le marchand Pierre Bruneau qui y installa un magasin général. Il s'agit du père de Julie Bruneau qui épousa le patriote et parlementaire Louis-Joseph Papineau.
Fondée au 17e siècle, Québec demeure la seule ville d'Amérique du Nord à avoir conservé ses remparts qui regroupent de nombreux bastions, portes et ouvrages défensifs ceinturant toujours le Vieux-Québec. Celui-ci a été classé au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO en 1985 (WHL-300).
Cette place est un ensemble fabuleux qui nous transporte en Nouvelle-France. Ce site avait été choisi par Samuel de Champlain pour fonder, en 1608, un établissement français permanent qui de poste de traite deviendra la ville que l’on connaît. Les maisons de pierres calcaires provenant des environs de Québec sont une des caractéristiques les plus typiques de la place.
Occupant l’angle nord-est de la place, ces trois maisons, soit la Maison Bruneau au 3A, la Maison Drapeau, au 3B et la Maison Rageot au 3 ont retrouvé leur aspect de la Nouvelle-France. La maison Bruneau fut reconstruite en 1791 par le marchand Pierre Bruneau qui y installa un magasin général. Il s'agit du père de Julie Bruneau qui épousa le patriote et parlementaire Louis-Joseph Papineau. Après les débats au Parlement, Pierre Bruneau invitait son collègue à souper à la maison. Papineau tomba sous le charme de Julie, qu’il présenta à ses parents comme «une jeune fille dont la douceur, l’éducation et les vertus ne manqueront pas de gagner votre affection?».
La maison Rageot, située à l'extrémité droite de la photo et qui présente ici sa façade arrière, a une façade plus noble du côté de la rue St-Pierre, jadis le Wall Street de Québec.
Fondée au 17e siècle, Québec demeure la seule ville d'Amérique du Nord à avoir conservé ses remparts qui regroupent de nombreux bastions, portes et ouvrages défensifs ceinturant toujours le Vieux-Québec. Celui-ci a été classé au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO en 1985 (WHL-300).
À mes amis francophones que ça intéresse, je vous informe que la célèbre série documentaire française "Des Racines et des Ailes" a produit une émission consacrée au Québec sous le titre "Le goût du Québec". Celle-ci offre une belle occasion de découvrir la ville de Québec et plusieurs régions importantes le long du fleuve St-Laurent telles, le Saguenay et Charlevoix:
9docu.org/regarder-et-telecharger-le-documentaire-des-rac...
Dans son œuvre, Hans op de Beeck (1969) présente des situations qui nous semblent familières, mais qui sont néanmoins aliénantes. « Le grenier » est un intérieur reconnaissable. Une table avec de la vaisselle dessus : une carafe, un verre et un bol avec des mûres. La chaise a été légèrement repoussée, comme si quelqu'un venait de se lever et de quitter la pièce. Mais cette nature morte contemporaine en trois dimensions a aussi quelque chose de mélancolique. Parce que l'ensemble est fait de plâtre gris, on a l'impression que la scène est enfouie sous une épaisse couche de poussière.
In his work, Hans op de Beeck (1969) presents situations that seem familiar to us, yet are nonetheless alienating. "The Attic" is a recognizable interior. A table with dishes on it: a carafe, a glass, and a bowl with blackberries. The chair has been pushed back slightly, as if someone had just gotten up and left the room. But this contemporary, three-dimensional still life also has something melancholic about it. Because the whole thing is made of gray plaster, it feels as if the scene is buried under a thick layer of dust.
This is my first attempt at 3D, I stumbled across this tutorial this evening
Created for Its An Addiction tutorial discussion here
With thanks to.....
Sky ~ ~Brenda-Starr~
Model ~ Marcus Ranum
Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
Thomas Blackburn
An Easter Hymn
A photo of Easter symbols mapped onto a cube in Photoshop CS5 3D
Repousse Text in Photoshop 3D
Aussi appelé tunnel de Barges d'une longueur de 142M, cet ouvrage abandonné a subi une tentative d’obstruction. De la terre a été repoussée dans la galerie près de sa sortie, mais un passage demeure possible pour les piétons.
Ligne Mouchard – Salins les bains -Jura
Longueur :
7,457 km
mise en service en 1952 , fermée en 1975
Thème courant dans la peinture de la Contre Réforme, symbolique de la pénitence, alors repoussée par les protestants.
I don't have a fireworks image or anything remotely New Year. Instead, I took a quick shot of a prayer wheel that I have had for a few dozen years, bought somewhere in the Middle or Far East. In my imagination (and maybe in yours, too), this wheel can turn and turn forever, repeating prayers (and hope) that some day the world will change and each one of us would be able to live in peace, no matter what part of the world one lives. Hopefully, the year 2017 will begin to change in that direction - it definitely needs to. Wishing you all a healthy, happy and peaceful New Year. If you are out on the roads, please don't drink and drive.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_wheel
"In Buddhism, a prayer wheel is of a hollow metal cylinder, often beautifully embossed, mounted on a rod handle and containing a tightly wound scroll printed with a mantra. Prayer wheels come in many sizes: they may be small, attached to a stick, and spun around by hand, medium-sized and set up at monasteries or temples, or very large and continuously spun by a wind or water mill.
Prayer wheels are used primarily by the Buddhists of Tibet and Nepal, where hand-held prayer wheels are carried by pilgrims and other devotees and turned during devotional activities.
According to Tibetan Buddhist belief, spinning a prayer wheel is just as effective as reciting the sacred texts aloud. This belief derives from the Buddhist belief in the power of sound and the formulas to which deities are subject. For many Buddhists, the prayer wheel also represents the Wheel of the Law (or Dharma) set in motion by the Buddha.
The prayer wheel is also useful for illiterate members of the lay Buddhist community, since they can "read" the prayers by turning the wheel.
The external cylinder of a prayer wheel is made out of repoussé metal, usually gilded bronze. The wheel is supported on a handle or axis made of wood or a precious metal. On the outside of the cylinder are inscriptions in Sanskrit (or sometimes Tibetan) script (often Om mani padme hum) and auspicious Buddhist symbols. This outer part is removable to allow for the insertion of the sacred text into the cylinder. The uppermost point of the prayer wheel forms the shape of a lotus bud.
The cylinder contains a sacred text written or printed on paper or animal skin. These texts might be sutra or invocations to particular deities (dharani or mantras). In Tibetan prayer wheels, the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is printed in an ancient Indian script or in Tibetan script, usually on the outside as well as on the scroll inside. "Om mani padme hum" is the most important mantra of Buddhism. It is the six syllable mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, so the mantra is especially revered by his devotees." From religionfacts,com.
Jeweled covers of the Lindau Gospels, front cover (Court School of Charles the Bald, Abbey of St. Gall), c. 880; back cover (Salzburg or vicinity), 750-800, 350 x 275 mm (Morgan Library)
Brume est aveugle de naissance. Elle n'a pas connu sa mère qui est morte lorsqu'elle a poussé son 1er cri et lorsqu'elle aurait dû, comme on dit habituellement "voir" le jour!
Châtiment divin pour celle qui, pour vivre, a causé la mort de sa génitrice? C'est en tout cas ainsi que l'a interprété son père fou de chagrin, lequel a repoussé l'enfant "maudite" au bout d'à peine quelques jours... c'est le jeune frère de sa mère, son seul parent,qui a consenti à adopter Brume... Elle a grandi à ses côtés ou disons, sous le même toit car il n'a guère été présent. L'éducation de Brume a été confiée à une gouvernante. Pourquoi son oncle la fuit-il ainsi?... A -t-il voulu échapper au charme irrésistible qu' exerce à son insu la jeune infirme?
Brume (Mist in english !) is blind from birth. She’s never known her mother who died when she screamed for the fist time and when she should have “seen” the light!
Divine punishment for the one who has “stolen” the life of her mother? That’s the opinion of her father who pushed away the “blasted” child when she’s only few days old… the young bother of her mother, her single parent, adopted Brume.. She grew up near him, more exactly under the same roof, because he used to be often absent… ( a governess took care of the girl) What does he flee from? The irresistible charm of her disabled niece?
The leaves of the street trees keep Portlandia hidden from street view most of the year. Fall color signals her winter exposure will come soon.
Portlandia is a sculpture by Raymond Kaskey located above the entrance of the Portland Building, in downtown Portland, Oregon, at 1120 SW 5th Avenue. It is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty.[1]
The statue is based on the design of the city seal. It depicts a woman dressed in classical clothes, holding a trident in the left hand and reaching down with the right hand. The statue is above street level, and faces a relatively narrow, tree-lined street. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portlandia_(statue)
Vent de NW avec des rafales de 70 à 100km/heure, l'eau de ce côté-ci l'étang est repoussée, laissant place à la grève par endroits.
Dame Carcas personnage légendaire de la ville de Carcassonne.
femme de Ballak, prince musulman de Carcassonne, tué au combat contre Charlemagne. Elle décide alors de défendre la ville face à l'armée franque et l'aurait repoussée.
Après un long siège, voyant l'armée de Charlemagne quitter la plaine devant la Cité, elle fit sonner les cloches de la ville. Un des hommes de Charlemagne se serait écrié « Carcas sonne ! », d'où le nom de la Cité...
La marche d'après (pour le climat); la batterie de la préfecture revisitée.
En avril 2019 et en réaction au mouvement de contestation des gilets jaunes, le président de la République française a mis en place une Convention constituée de 150 citoyens tirés au sort pour définir des mesures s'inscrivant dans l'accord de Paris de 2015 (COP21) et respectant un esprit de justice sociale. Le remarquable travail réalisé par cette commission a abouti à une proposition de 149 mesures qui ont malheureusement pour l'essentiel et contrairement aux engagements pris été détricotées ou repoussées. La journée de manifestations du 9 mai nommée "Marche d'après" parce qu'elle en suivait une première organisée le 28 mars 2021 réclame une vraie loi climat conforme aux propositions de la Convention. Elle s'inscrit dans une longue série de manifestations survenues en France et dans le monde pour réclamer une réelle prise en compte des problèmes environnementaux et plus particulièrement des actions effectives pour respecter les engagements concernant l'arrêt des émissions de gaz à effet de serre.
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"La marche d'après" (Marche after for the climate); the battery of the prefecture revisited.
In April 2019 and in reaction to the protest movement of the "Gilets jaunes" (yellow vests), the President of the French Republic set up a Convention made up of 150 citizens sorted out to define measures in line with the Paris agreement of 2015 (COP21 ) and respecting a spirit of social justice. The remarkable work carried out by this commission resulted in a proposal for 149 measures which unfortunately for the most part and contrary to the commitments made were unraveled or postponed. The day of demonstrations of May 9, called "March after" because it followed a first organized on March 28, 2021 calls for a real climate law in accordance with the proposals of the Convention. It is part of a long series of events that have taken place in France and around the world to call for real consideration of environmental problems and more particularly for effective actions to meet commitments regarding the cessation of greenhouse gas emissions.
Merle d'Amérique | American robin | Turdus migratorius
Les merles d'Amérique en hiver sont grégaires contrairement à l'été. Ils forment des groupes de quelques dizaines d'individus et se promènent dans les bois et parcs à la recherche d'arbres fruitiers. Après les pluies de dimanche, le pourtour de bon nombre d'arbres était à découvert, la neige étant repoussée de quelques pieds, le couvert automnal a refait surface! Les merles s'en sont donné à coeur joie, retrouvant avec délice les insectes, si protéinés et recherchés, blottis et endormis sous les feuilles...
My silver repousse mexican mirrors can't hold a candle to this work. ecuador, attributed to bernardo de legarda, 17th-18th c., carved, gilded and polychromed wood, and repousse silver, 31 1/8" high
It's not. It's from 1550–1500 BCE, antedating the Trojan War by 300–400 years. But that's what that inveterate promoter Schliemann called it, and the name has stuck. He discovered it in 1876 in a shaft tomb at Mycenae (Grave Circle A, Grave V). The slits around the ears enabled it to be tied over the face of the deceased. The museum at Mycenae had a replica; this is the original, in the national museum in Athens.
This bronze Greek helmet from the island of Crete depicts two long-legged horses worked in repoussé with incised details (one on each side). Small engraved lions appear on the cheekpieces.
Greek, Cretan, late 7th century BCE (Archaic).
Height: 9 5/8 in. (24.5 cm)
Met Museum, New York (1989.281.49)
The Rendille. Pushed away by their neighbours, they henceforth inhabit a vast territory : from the Kaisut Desert to the east to the shores of Lake Turkana to the west.They are semi-nomadic, that is to say both nomad and pastoralist. Clans live in temporary settlement called gobs. The Rendille never stay long at the same place to look for water sources and pasturing areas. They move 3 to 5 times a year. Women are in charge of taking the houses apart and putting them back in the new location. The Rendille favour camels rather than cattle, because they are better suited to the environment. The Rendille depend heavily on them for food, milk, clothing, trade and transport. The Rendille are skilled craftsmen and make many different decoration or ornaments. Like the Maasai with cows, camels are bled in order to drink their blood. Marriage is not allowed within one's own clan. Society is strongly bound by family ties. The Rendille still believe in their God, called Wak or Ngai. They also have fortune-tellers who predict the future, and perform sacrifices to make it rain. Special ceremonies take place at a child's birth. A ewe or goat is sacrificed if it is a girl, a ram if a boy. The girl is blessed 3 times while 4 for the boy. In the same way, mother drinks blood for 3 days for a babygirl, 4 days for a babyboy. The weeding ceremony takes time. The prospective groom must give the bridewealth to the bride's family: 4 female and 4 male camels.
Les Rendille. Repoussés par leurs voisins, ils habitent désormais un vaste territoire, qui va du Désert de Kaisut à l’est aux rives du Lac Turkana à l’ouest.Ils sont semi-nomades, c’est-à-dire à la fois nomades et pasteurs. Les clans vivent dans des installations temporaires appelées gobs. Les Rendille ne restent jamais longtemps au même endroit pour chercher des sources d’eau et des pâturages. Ils se déplacent 3 à 5 fois par an. Les femmes sont chargées de démonter les maisons et les replacer dans leur nouveau lieu d’habitat. Les Rendile privilégient les dromadaires au bétail, étant plus adaptés à leur environnement. Ils dépendent largement d’eux pour leur nourriture, lait, habits, commerce et transport. Les Rendille sont des artisans qualifiés et créent des décorations et ornements divers. Comme les Maasai avec les vaches, les dromadaires sont saignés pour boire le sang. Le mariage n’est pas autorisé à l’intérieur d’un même clan. La société est solidement lié par les attaches familiales.Les Rendille croient dans un Dieu qu’ils appellent Wak ou Ngai. Ils ont aussi des voyants qui prédisent l’avenir, et réalisent des sacrifices pour faire pleuvoir. Des cérémonies spéciales ont lieu à la naissance d’un enfant. Une brebis ou chèvre est sacrifiée si c’est une fille, un bélier si c’est un garçon. La fille est bénie 3 fois, 4 pour le garçon. De la même manière, la mère boit du sang pendant 3 jours pour une petite fille, 4 pour un petit garçon. La cérémonie du mariage prend du temps. Le futur époux doit payer le prix de la mariée à la famille de celle-ci : 4 dromadaires femelles et 4 mâles.
The Samburu are closely related to the Maasai.Like the Maasai, they live in the central Rift Valley area of Kenya, where the climate is semi-arid.They are seminomadic and belong to the Maa (Nilotic) speaking group of people. They do very little farming. Their livelihood depends upon the cattle, sheeps and goats they raise. They use their milk more than meat. They often drink milk mixed with cow's blood. Like their neighbours, they have to search for water and grazing land which leads them out from their homes during dry seasons. The Samburu live in huts made of branches, mud and cow dung. Around it, there is a fence made of thorn bushes, in which the cattle is kept at night. Most Samburu still wear traditional dress. Like the Maasai, women wear colorful beaded necklaces similar to the ones the Rendile women also wear. The number of necklaces is a sign of wealth, often given as dowry. They wear bright clothes, usually red and pink. To protect their eyes from the sun, Samburu warriors (like the Rendile) often paste their hair with ochre which creates a visor.Samburu are very spiritual people, believing and praying every day the God called Ngai. Age determines men's social status: each man has to go through various stages before becoming a powerful elder. Circumcision marks the boy’s transition to a young warrior, while girls excision is carried out on the day of marriage (usually at 16 years old).
Les Samburu sont intimement liés aux Maasai. Lieu de vie : Comme les Maasai, ils vivent dans la zone de la vallée centrale du Rift au Kenya, où le climat est semi-aride.Ils sont semi-nomades et appartiennent au peuple de langue Maa (nilotique). Ils font peu d’agriculture. Leur moyen de subsistance dépend de leur bétail, moutons et chèvres qu’ils élèvent. Ils se servent davantage de leur lait que de leur viande. Ils boivent souvent du lait mélangé au sang de vache. De la même façon que leurs voisins, ils doivent chercher de l’eau et de nouveaux pâturages, ce qui les conduit en dehors de leurs territoires durant les saisons sèches. Les Samburu vivent dans des huttes faites de branches, boue et bouse de vache. Autour, il y a une barrière faite de buissons épineux, dans lesquels le bétail est gardé la nuit. La plupart des Samburu portent encore leur costume traditionnel. Comme les Maasai, les femmes portent des colliers en perles colorés, similaires à ceux que les femmes Rendile portent aussi. Le nombre de colliers est un signe de richesse, souvent offerts en guise de don pour le mariage. Ils portent des vêtements clairs, souvent rouges et roses. Pour protéger leurs yeux du soleil, les guerriers Samburu (comme les Rendile) souvent couvrent leurs cheveux d’ocre ce qui constitue une visière.Les Samburu sont très spirituels, croyant et priant chaque jour le Dieu appelé Ngai. L’âge détermine le statut social des hommes : chaque homme doit passer par les diverses étapes avant de devenir un aîné puissant. La circoncision marque la transition du garçon vers l’âge de jeune guerrier, tandis que l’excision des filles est réalisée le jour du mariage (souvent à 16 ans).
© Eric Lafforgue