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Plate (identified as King Shapur II hunting boar), 4th century C.E. (Sasanian, Iran), silver and gilt, 5 x 24 cm (National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.)
Fibula (rear chamber, Regolini-Galassi Tomb, Cerveteri), 670–650 B.C.E., gold, 29.2 cm long Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Musei Vaticani)
" Les belles infos du canard "
Global Warming, merci vraiment ... Grâce à ton action ô combien salutaire les côtes méditerranéennes repoussées très au nord nous ont permis de créer une première marina dans ma contrée naguère glacée ...
Vais pouvoir me payer un Riva ... ou un Chris-Craft ?.. J'hésite encore ....
Canon/Samyang 8.0mm ...
Silver bowl decorated in repoussé with gilded vines (much of the gilding has worn off). It originally had a smooth inner lining. The grape vines are clear references to Dionysos-Bacchus.
Roman, Julio-Claudian, about 1-50 CE.
Diameter: 14.70 cm (5.79 in.)
Height: 9.30 cm (3.66 in.)
British Museum, London (1867,0508.1410)
We're working through lots of variations to layer more and more texture, form and color into this concept. Sometimes the fact that there are two of us makes things easier, and then sometimes it doesn't .
Brass, color on metal, repousse, chasing, fabricated. 3.25 in long
8F3A9310 - Parce que la hiérarchie est très strictement inscrite dans le comportement des groupes d'éléphants, il n'est pas évident pour cette jeune mère d'accéder au point d'eau avec son jeune. Il lui faudra s'y reprendre à plusieurs reprises, après s'être fait repoussée plusieurs fois, pour enfin accéder à l'eau et laisser boire son petit pour un bref instant. Observation en période de sécheresse d'un point d'eau dans la région de Savuti, parc national de Chobe, au Botswana
Filigree (also less commonly spelled filagree, and formerly written filigrann or filigrene) is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork, usually of gold and silver, made with tiny beads or twisted threads, or both in combination, soldered together or to the surface of an object of the same metal and arranged in artistic motifs. It often suggests lace and remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork. It was popular as well in Italian and French metalwork from 1660 to the late 19th century. It should not be confused with ajoure jewellery work, the ajoure technique consisting of drilling holes in objects made of sheet metal.
The English word filigree is shortened from the earlier use of filigreen which derives from Latin "filum" meaning thread and "granum" grain, in the sense of small bead. The Latin words gave filigrana in Italian which itself became filigrane in 17th-century French
History
Though filigree has become a special branch of jewellery in modern times, it was historically part of the ordinary work of the jeweler. Indeed, all the jewelry of the Etruscans and Greeks (other than that intended for the grave, and therefore of an unsubstantial character) was made by soldering together and so building up the gold rather than by chiselling or engraving the material.
Ancient work
Archaeological finds in ancient Mesopotamia indicate that filigree was incorporated into jewelry since 3,000 BC. Specific to the city of Midyat in Mardin Province in upper Mesopotamia, a form of filigree using silver and gold wires, known as "telkari", was developed in the 15th Century. To this day, expert craftsmen in this region continue to produce fine pieces of telkari.
The Egyptian jewelers employed wire, both to lay down on a background and to plait or otherwise arranged jour. But, with the exception of chains, it cannot be said that filigree work was much practiced by them. Their strength lay rather in their cloisonné work and their molded ornaments. Many examples, however, remain of round plaited gold chains of fine wire, such as those that are still made by the filigree workers of India, and known as trichinopoly chains. From some of these are hung smaller chains of finer wire with minute fishes and other pendants fastened to them.
In ornaments derived from Phoenician sites, such as Cyprus and Sardinia, patterns of gold wire are laid down with great delicacy on a gold ground, but the art was advanced to its highest perfection in the Greek and Etruscan filigree of the 6th to the 3rd centuries BC. A number of earrings and other personal ornaments found in central Italy are preserved in the Louvre and in the British Museum. Almost all of them are made of filigree work. Some earrings are in the form of flowers of geometric design, bordered by one or more rims each made up of minute volutes of gold wire, and this kind of ornament is varied by slight differences in the way of disposing the number or arrangement of the volutes. But the feathers and petals of modern Italian filigree are not seen in these ancient designs. Instances occur, but only rarely, in which filigree devices in wire are self-supporting and not applied to metal plates.
The museum of the Hermitage at Saint Petersburg contains an amazingly rich collection of Scythian jewelry from the tombs of the Crimea. Many bracelets and necklaces in that collection are made of twisted wire, some in as many as seven rows of plaiting, with clasps in the shape of heads of animals of beaten work. Others are strings of large beads of gold, decorated with volutes, knots and other patterns of wire soldered over the surfaces. In the British Museum a sceptre, probably that of a Greek priestess, is covered with plaited and netted gold wipe, finished with a sort of Corinthian capital and a boss of green glass
Asia
It is probable that in India and various parts of central Asia filigree has been worked from the most remote period without any change in the designs. Whether the Asiatic jewellers were influenced by the Greeks who settled on that continent, or merely trained under traditions held in common with them, it is certain that the Indian filigree workers retain the same patterns as those of the ancient Greeks and work them in the same way, down to the present day. Wandering workmen are given so much gold, coined or rough, which is weighed, heated in a pan of charcoal, beaten into wire, and then worked in the courtyard or verandah of the employer's house according to the designs of the artist, who weighs the complete work on restoring it and is paid at a specified rate for his labour. Very fine grains or beads and spines of gold, scarcely thicker than coarse hair, projecting from plates of gold are methods of ornamentation still used.
Cuttack, of the eastern Indian state Odisha, features traditional filigree work. It known as tarakasi in the Oriya language and most filigree work revolves around images of deities. Due to lack of patronage and modern design ideas, it is a dying art. Also noted is silver filigree of Karimnagar in Telangana state.
Threaded silver works date back to 3000 BC in the Near East. The cities of Mardin and Beypazari in Turkey are famous for its many workshops and stores in traditional historic bazaars.
Medieval Europe
Passing to later times, there are in many collections of medieval jewel work reliquaries, covers for Gospel books, etc., made either in Constantinople from the 6th to the 12th centuries, or in monasteries in Europe, in which studied and imitated Byzantine goldsmiths' work. These objects, besides being enriched with precious stones, polished, but not cut into facets, and with enamels, are often decorated with filigree. Large surfaces of gold are sometimes covered with scrolls of filigree soldered on, and corner pieces of the borders of book covers, or the panels of reliquaries, are frequently made up of complicated pieces of plaited work alternating with spaces encrusted with enamel. Byzantine filigree work occasionally has small stones set amongst the curves or knots. Examples of such decoration can be seen in the Victoria and Albert, and British Museums. Examples include the Cross of Lothair in Aachen.
In the north of Europe, the Saxons, Britons and Celts were from an early period skillful in several kinds of goldsmiths' work. Admirable examples of filigree patterns laid down in wire on gold, from Anglo-Saxon tombs, may be seen in the British Museum, notably a brooch from Dover, and a sword-hilt from Cumberland. The Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver (estimated 700 CE) discovered in a field in Staffordshire, England, on 5 July 2009 contains numerous examples of very fine filigree described by archaeologist Kevin Leahy as "incredible".
Irish filigree work of the Insular period is more thoughtful in design and more extremely varied in pattern. The Royal Irish Academy in Dublin contains a number of reliquaries and personal jewels, of which filigree is the general and most remarkable ornament. The Tara brooch has been copied and imitated, and the shape and decoration of it are well known. Instead of fine curls or volutes of gold thread, the Irish filigree is varied by numerous designs by which one thread can be traced through curious knots and complications, which, disposed over large surfaces, balance one another, but always with special varieties and arrangements difficult to trace with the eye. The long thread appears and disappears without breach of continuity, the two ends generally worked into the head and the tail of a serpent or a monster.
The reliquary containing the "Bell of Saint Patrick" is covered with knotted work in many varieties. A two-handled chalice, called the "Ardagh Chalice" found near Limerick in 1868, is ornamented with work of this kind of extraordinary fineness. Twelve plaques on a band round the body of the vase, plaques on each handle and round the foot of the vase have a series of different designs of characteristic patterns, in fine filigree wire work wrought on the front of the repoussé ground.
Much of the medieval jewel work all over Europe down to the 15th century, on reliquaries, crosses, croziers, and other ecclesiastical goldsmiths' work, is set off with bosses and borders of filigree. Filigree work in silver was practised by the Moors of Spain during the Middle Ages with great skill, and was introduced by them and established all over the Iberian Peninsula, hence it was carried to the Spanish colonies in America. The Portuguese filigree work of the 17th and 18th centuries is of extraordinary complexity, and silver filigree jewelry of delicate and artistic design is still made in considerable quantities throughout the country.
The manufacture spread over the Balearic Islands, and among the populations that border the Mediterranean. It is still made all over Italy, and in Portugal, Malta, Macedonia, Albania, the Ionian Islands and many other parts of Greece. That of the Greeks is sometimes on a large scale, with several thicknesses of wires alternating with larger and smaller bosses and beads, sometimes set with turquoises, and mounted on convex plates, making rich ornamental headpieces, belts, and breast ornaments. Filigree silver buttons of wire-work and small bosses are worn by the peasants in most of the countries that produce this kind of jewelry.
Silver filigree brooches and buttons are also made in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Little chains and pendants are added to much of this northern work.
Some very curious filigree work was brought to Great Britain from Abyssinia after the Battle of Magdala: armguards, slippers, and cups, some of which are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. They are made of thin plates of silver, over which the wirework is soldered. The filigree is subdivided by narrow borders of simple pattern, and the intervening spaces are made up of many patterns, some with grains set at intervals.
Methods of fabrication and uses
The art may be said to consist in curling, twisting and plaiting fine pliable threads of metal, and uniting them at their points of contact with each other, and with the ground, by means of flux such as borax, by the help of the blowpipe. When granulated motifs are desired, small beads are made traditionally by using precious metal wire or fine sheet to start with, which is cut up in small pieces mixed with flux and placed in the small holes of a pitted block of charcoal (or any other suitable refractory material) and are then melted with a blowpipe (or today with a blowtorch), after which the bits of wire curl up and take a natural spherical like shape to end up in minuscule grains which slightly differ one from the other.[9][10] Small grains or beads of the same metals are often set in the eyes of volutes, on the junctions, or at intervals at which they will set off the wirework effectively. The more delicate work is generally protected by framework of stouter wire.
Brooches, crosses, earrings, buttons and other personal ornaments of modern filigree are generally surrounded and subdivided by bands of square or flat metal, giving consistency to the filling up, which would not otherwise keep its proper shape.
Filigree jewelry design, and its twisting and soldering techniques, have an application in other metal-work such as wrought iron hanging wall brackets and silertoned doors.
Granulated work
A few words must be added as to the granulated work. Such decoration consists of minute beads, globules of gold, soldered to form patterns on a metal surface. Granulation was employed by Mesopotamian craftsmen. Sumerians are thought to be the first to practice this technique of metalwork. Its use is rare in Egypt. It occurs in Cyprus at an early period, as for instance on a gold pendant in the British Museum from Enkomi in Cyprus (10th century BC). The pendant is in the form of a pomegranate, and has upon it a pattern of triangles, formed by more than 3,000 minute globules separately soldered on. It also occurs on ornaments of the 7th century BC from Camirus in Rhodes. But these globules are large, compared with those found on Etruscan jewelry. Fortunato Pio Castellani, who had made the antique jewelry of the Etruscans and Greeks his special study, with the intention of reproducing the ancient models, found it for a long time impossible to revive this particular process of delicate soldering. He overcame the difficulty at last, by the discovery of a traditional school of craftsmen at Sant'Angelo in Vado, by whose help his well-known reproductions were completed. (Wikipedia)
Shaft Grave V, Grave Circle A, Mycenae. 1600-1500 BC.
National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Gold death-mask known as the "Mask of Agamemnon". This mask depicts the imposing face of a bearded noble man. It is made of a gold sheet with repoussé details. Two holes near the ears indicate that the mask was held in place of the deceased's face with twine.
Once part of a large cemetery outside the acropolis walls, Grave Circle A was discovered within the Mycenaean citadel by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 under the supervision of the Greek Ephor of Antiquities Panagiotis Stamatakis.
The tombs in Grave Circle A contained a total of nineteen burials: nine males, eight females and two infants. With the exception of Grave II, which contained a single burial, all of the other graves contained between two and five inhumations.
The amazing wealth of the grave gifts reveals both the high social rank and the martial spirit of the deceased: gold jewelry and vases, a large number of decorated swords and other bronze objects, and artefacts made of imported materials, such as amber, lapis lazuli, faience and ostrich eggs. All of these, together with a small but characteristic group of pottery vessels, confirm Mycenae's importance during this period, and justify Homer's designation of Mycenae as 'rich in gold.'
Shaft Grave V contained three male burials. Two of the deceased wore gold death-masks, one of which is known as the "Mask of Agamemnon". The grave gifts included gold breastplates, elaborate bronze swords and daggers, gold and silver vessels, an ostrich egg rhyton and a wooden pyxis. There was less gold jewelry that in the female graves, but a great number of amber beads.
A warrior's helmeted head decorates the upper portion of this prometopidion, a piece of armor that covered a horse's forehead. Both repousse and incision are used for decorative details on the elaborate Chalcidian helmet, such as the bands of guilloche pattern, tongues and hair-curl-like forms that run over the brows. The cheek pieces of the helmet terminate in rams’ heads, and the warrior's eyes are inlaid with ivory and amber. The lower part of the prometopidion is missing (compare 83.AC.7.1). The small holes running around the edge of the prometopidion allowed a leather backing to be sewn onto the bronze for cushioning; the larger holes were for attachment to the bridle.
Greek, South Italian, ca. 480 BCE. Bronze, amber, ivory.
45 × 17.2 cm (17 11/16 × 6 3/4 in.)
Getty Villa Museum (83.AC.7.2)
"Comment l’inanimé devient-il animé ? Comment l’homme instaure-t-il une relation insolite ou intime avec des objets ? Un groupe d’anthropologues s’est penché sur ces questions, à l’heure où notre conception de l’humain vacille et que ses frontières ne cessent d’être repoussées.
À propos de l'exposition
Nombreux sont les objets qui ont un statut plus proche de celui d’une personne ou d’une créature que d’un simple objet. Objets d’art – occidental ou non occidental, populaire ou contemporain –, ou produits high tech – robots, machines, etc. – se voient régulièrement attribuer, dans leur utilisation, des capacités d’action insoupçonnées, qui en font des quasi-personnes. Comme l’enfant qui voue une passion à son doudou ou celui qui peste contre son ordinateur ou son mobile en lui reprochant d’être incompétent ou têtu. Comme le chamane qui convoque les esprits à travers une statuette prenant les traits des dieux.
Ce transfert ou cette confusion qui s’opère alors entre l’humain et le non-humain, et la relation particulière et personnalisée qui les lie, dans les cultures les plus variées, est le vaste sujet de cette exposition d’anthropologie. Une incursion par la robotique, via l’œuvre pionnière de Masahiro Mori, permettra de comprendre le rôle de l’anthropomorphisme dans les artefacts les plus divers, et ce qui se joue lorsqu’un robot à l’apparence trop humaine – ou toute autre pièce au réalisme intimidant – croise notre regard, jusqu’à le déstabiliser."
www.quaibranly.fr/fr/expositions-evenements/au-musee/expo...
Om........
AKA Repousse
Thin sheets of metal can be drawn on and stretched to create a low-relief sculpture. Namaste!
5x5
Calvario
Binondo, Manila and San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan 1890s
ivory, silver, velvet, silvergilt threads,
baticuling wood, glass, enamels
Cristo::
wingspan: 8" (20 cm)
head to toe: 11" (28 cm)
body: 1 1/2" x 1" (4 cm x 3 cm)
Mater Dolorosa: 12" x 5" x 3 1/2" (30 cm x 13 cm x 9 cm)
Maria Magdalena: 7" x 4" x 3"(18 cm x 10 cm x 8c m)
San Juan Evangelista: 11" x 5" x 4"(28 cm x 13 cm x 10 cm)
Virina: 28" x 20" x 11"(71cm x 51cm x 28 cm)
Base: 7" x 26" x 16" (18 cm x 66 cm x 41 cm)
Opening bid: PHP 800,000
Property from the Don Maximo Viola Collection, San Miguel, Bulacan.
Provenance: Maximo Viola, Descendants of Maximo Viola
About the Work
By Augusto Marcelino Reyes Gonzalez III
Commissioned by D Maximo Viola y Sison (1857– 1933): a contemplative and reflective tabletop “Calvario” tableau. The “Cristo Expirante” has a resigned expression. It has long hair of “jusi” fibers and on its head are a silvergilt crown of thorns and “tres potencias” symbolizing the three powers of the Lord: Authority (Exousia in Greek), Ability (Dunamis in Greek), and Strength (Kratas in Greek), it wears a “tapis” loincloth of silvergilt repousse with flowers and leaves. The cross itself is of kamagong wood with linear lanite inlay terminating in silvergilt repousse “cantoneras” on three of its exposed sides; there are the requisite INRI plaque (“Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews,” in unusual silvergilt openwork) surmounting the cross, the reverse–painted red glass sun framed by silver rays above the Cristo, and the silver skull and bones representing Golgotha below the Cristo; the cross exudes silvergilt repousse rays with flowers and leaves which symbolize the Cristo’s divinity. The Cristo is flanked by the two thieves, San Dimas the good thief to the Cristo’s right and Gestas the unrepentant thief to the left, as dictated by tradition; San Dimas gestures towards the Cristo but Gestas ignores both of them; both San Dimas and Gestas are polychrome “de tallado” wooden figures with their carved “tapis” loincloths painted red for some reason. The other principal figures in the tableau are the grieving “Mater Dolorosa” (Mary the Sorrowful Mother) on the left, a silvergilt “rostrillo” (of the distinct 1890s type) around its face and a silvergilt heart pierced by a dagger on its breast, clad in a gold robe and blue cape; a distraught “San Juan Evangelista” (Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist) on the right, a silvergilt “paraguas” halo on its head, clad in a red robe and green cape; and a prostrate and desperate “Santa” Maria Magdalena (Saint Mary Magdalene) at the foot of the cross, a silvergilt “paraguas” halo on its head, clad in a purple robe and yellow cape. All the velvet vestments are embroidered with floral and foliar designs of the 1890s genre. In the tradition of nineteenth century (Victorian) “miniaturismo,” many charming glass baubles, reputedly created by the inmates of the Bilibid Prison (according to the prewar–postwar collector Felipe Kleimpell Hidalgo), dot the base of the tableau. There are country folk: a farmer (well –dressed, looks like a prince), his wife, daughter, and a female vendor with a basket on her head, all wearing cheery dresses. Plants and flowers. There are all kinds of animals: dogs, cats, birds, geese, sheep, goats, even antlered deer. There is a “Roman centurion” on a horse between the Cristo and San Dimas, although the horse looks like anything but one. The surface of the base is textured to simulate earth. Overall, it is a very interesting tableau. “Calvario” tableaux (Calvary scenes) were necessary appurtenances of Roman Catholic evangelization and catechesis in the past centuries. They depicted the Crucifixion: the “Cristo Expirante” (dying) or even the “Cristo Moribundo” (dead) Jesus Christ on the cross, his nearest and dearest --- “Mater Dolorosa” (Mary his Sorrowful Mother), “San Juan Evangelista” (Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist), and “Santa Maria Magdalena” (Saint Mary Magdalene) at the foot of the cross. To the faithful, they were daily reminders of the ultimate sacrifice by Jesus Christ. They were the visualizations of “Semana Santa” (Holy Week), “Viernes Santo” (Good Friday), “Las Siete Palabras” (The Seven Last Words), “La Procesion del Entierro” (Burial Procession), and “El Triduo Pascual” (Easter Triduum), all central themes of Roman Catholicism leading to Easter, the Resurrection of Christ, the most central theme of all.
Lot 139 of the Leon Gallery auction on June 17, 2023. Please see leon-gallery.com/auctions/The-Spectacular-Mid-Year-Auctio... for more information.
Taken from the top of the pedestal...
Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), has stood on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, welcoming visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans, since it was presented to the United States by the people of France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the gift commemorated the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and has since become one of the most recognizable national icons--a symbol of democracy and freedom.
The 151-foot (46-meter) tall statue was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and stands atop Richard Morris Hunt's 154-foot (93-meter) rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. 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 and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The Statue of Liberty depicts a woman clad in Roman Stola and holding a torch and tablet, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf.
Affectionately known as Lady Liberty, the figure is derived from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her left foot, fitted in Roman sandals, tramples broken shackles, symbolizing freedom from opression and tyranny, while her raised right foot symbolizes Liberty and Freedom refusing to stand still. Her torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand represents knowledge and shows the date of the Declaration of Independence--July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the Seven Seas and seven continents. Visually the the Statue of Liberty draws inspiration from the ancient Colossus of Rhodes of the Greek Sun-god Zeus or Helios, and is referred to in the 1883 sonnet The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which was later engraved inside.
The Statue of Liberty National Monument was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1976.
Statue of Liberty National Monument New Jersey State Register (1971)
Statue of Liberty National Monument National Register #66000058 (1966)
Rostrillo or Facial Aureola
18th Century
Spanish Colonial
Solid Silver
A massive and impressive 18th century Spanish colonial silver ROSTRILLO -- mistakenly referred to as a Resplendor -- with beautiful hand chasing and repousse. Overall very high silver content with good age tarnished patina. Displayed on a high quality custom made stand.
Dimensions: overall height on display stand is 18 inches. Resplendor measures 13 inches wide x 12 inches high. Weight: 14.25 troy ounces.
Condition: old loss around inner band
Fibula (rear chamber, Regolini-Galassi Tomb, Cerveteri), 670–650 B.C.E., gold, 29.2 cm long Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Musei Vaticani)
Iron helmet with copper alloy fittings, consisting of many individual fragments now built into a reconstruction made using jute textile and plaster.
The reconstruction comprises a domed cap, cheek-pieces, mask and neck-guard, covered with panels of tinned copper alloy sheeting. The panels are stamped with various repousse designs including animal interlace in Salin's Style II, and two different warrior scenes known as "The Dancing Warriors" and "The Fallen Warrior". Three different dies were used for the figural scenes and two for the interlace.
An iron crest inlaid with silver wire runs over the cap of the helmet, terminating at the front and back with animal heads. The animal head at the front has garnet cabochon eyes, now missing but painted in on the animal head at the back. The front animal head meets another animal head extending from the nose of the helmet, cast in copper alloy and gilded. Flanking the nose are a pair of gilt copper alloy eyebrows, inlaid with silver wire and terminating in boar's heads. Each eyebrow is lined along the bottom edge with a row of cloisonné garnets formed of miniature square cells, 23 on the proper right brow and 25 on the proper left. Only the garnets on the proper right brow have backing foils. The nose is cast together with a mouth-piece resembling a moustache and lower lip, made from copper alloy with gilding and partial tinning, enhanced with engraved detail and silver inlay.
On the inside of the iron fragments, black staining indicates the original presence of a leather lining.
In 2025, it was announced that a metal-detectorist on the island of Tåsinge, Funen, Denmark had found a die bearing a similar motif to the "Fallen Warrior" panel on the Sutton Hoo helmet. Similarities in particular were drawn in small details of the figures' clothing, hairstyles, weaponry, anatomy and the horse's harness and equipment. Differences are also apparent, such as the fallen figure carrying a shield, not seen on the Sutton Hoo image. The new discovery is perhaps likelier to reflect a wider proliferation of this popular motif among the elites of Early Medieval Europe, rather than a strong indication that the Sutton Hoo helmet was made in Denmark.
Anglo-Saxon, made in England or Sweden, early 600s CE. Discovered in Sutton Hoo, East Anglia.
British Museum, London (1939,1010.93)
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 crown was made to adorn a sacred image of the Virgin Mary venerated in the cathedral of Popayán (Colombia). A symbol of the Virgin’s divine queenship, the crown is encircled by golden vinework set with emerald clusters in the shape of flowers, a reference to her purity. The diadem is topped by imperial arches and a cross-bearing orb that symbolizes Christ’s dominion over the world."
** Updated photos - earlier ones remain in my account **
This elaborate gold hairnet is one of the few surviving from antiquity (the contemporary “Schimmel” hairnet in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, inv. no. 1987.220, is another) and is an example of the extraordinary level of achievement that was possible for goldsmiths in the 3rd century BC. It is considered to have been made in the same goldsmith’s workshop, probably in Alexandria, Egypt, as the Diadem. The hairnet consists of four elements: the central medallion, the tassels and chains, the net, and the circular clasp. Made to enclose a gathered bun of hair at the back of the head, the fabrication of the hairnet is remarkable for the quality of its execution. The medallion consists of a central repoussé bust of Aphrodite with Eros clinging to the drapery on her left shoulder. The Ptolemaic queens often presented themselves as descendants of Aphrodite; here, the goddess’s features and hairstyle are similar to those of Queen Arsinoe II (ca. 316 – ca. 270 BC). Two concentric bands of filigree separated by rows of beads surround the center. The innermost band consists of a running pattern of framed acanthus leaves (identical to the inner frieze on the Schimmel hairnet noted above); the outer band is filigreed with a step pattern perhaps once inlaid with enamel, now lost. Running filigree as used here, constructed from lengths of wire rather than short pieces connected together, can also be seen on the Diadem and indicates the work of a master gold-smith. Garnet and gold beaded tassels dangle from the medallion and clasp. The net is comprised of bands of gold spool beads linked by tiny filigreed chains, their intersecting points articulated with tiny masks of Dionysos and actors. The circular clasp is embellished with a large Herakles knot, floral tendrils, ivy leaves, and berries.
The association of Arsinoe II with Aphrodite on the hairnet finds parallels on other items in the Assemblage of Ptolemaic Gold Jewelry, such as the identification of Tyche/Fortuna with Arsinoe II on the carnelian ring. Commonalities between the materials and the workmanship of many objects in this group indicate they were made by Greek goldsmiths working in more than one workshop in Alexandria, Egypt, and were created to be worn as an ensemble. While a royal context can be ascribed to the group, the association cannot be extended to the royals themselves. It therefore seems possible that the original owner was an elite of the exclusive circle of dynastic princesses, who, ornamented in her golden finery, served the queen in one of the royal cults devoted to her worship.
Ptolemaic Greek, ca. 225–175 BCE. Created in Egypt, probably Alexandria. Gold, garnets, and glass paste
Getty Villa Museum, Pacific Palisades, California (92.AM.8.1)
*NOTE* This was one of several Ptolemaic gold jewelry pieces sold by the infamous looted antiquities trafficker Robin Symes. They were purchased from him by the Fleischman family, who sold the lot to the Getty.
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...
(Sold on Etsy, see profile for more info)
-= Déjà Vu =-
Re-visit the past for the first time with this unique bracelet by 19 Moons! This one of a kind work recalls the beauty of 20th century- a collage antique metal buttons, and antiquated technology given life anew. There are 8 objects in all mounted on the sturdy silver form: Four exquisitely detailed vintage buttons in gold, silver and bronze with various patterns, a 1920's watchdial, a 1940's typewriter key (V), a 1920's cash register key (4) and the centerpiece is a gorgeous 1930's ruby jewel watch movement inverted inside its art nouveau casing. The bracelet form and findings are a combination of sterling silver and pewter, finished with a fabulous art-nouveau toggle style clasp. A stunning ensemble of early 20th century design- and so unique! Don't miss this treasure for the wrist.
Size: 8.5" L (May be shortened by request)
Line: X-Machina
© 2008-2009 19 Moons, All Rights Reserved
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)
Vue du Mont Fuji et du Mont Ashitaka au loin, Hara (étape 14)
Série des 53 étapes du Tokaido (Route de la mer de l'Est)
Oeuvre d'Utagawa Hiroshige (Japon, 1797-1858)
1855
Période Edo, Japon
Hiroshige hitsu
estampe (nishiki-e),
papier et encre
Oeuvre de la collection du musée d'art oriental de Venise, présentée dans l'exposition Hiroshige. De Edo à Kyoto vues célèbres du Japon, au palais Grimani du 20 septembre 2014 au 15 janvier 2015
www.palazzogrimani.org/mostre-ed-eventi/hiroshige/
Cette exposition très bien scénographiée dans les salles du palazzo Grimani permet de voir de nombreuses oeuvres (estampes) de Hiroshige appartenant aux collections du musée d'art oriental de Venise. Ce musée, dont le fond japonais est très riche, se trouve hébergé depuis de nombreuses années dans des locaux trop exigus au 3ème étage du palais Ca' Pesaro, le musée d'art moderne de Venise. Sa réinstallation dans un palais plus vaste a été sans cesse repoussée, ce qui l'oblige à exposer ses collections dans d'autres musées.
Album sur le musée d'art oriental (photos dalbera)
www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/sets/72157627615989247
Photo Annie Dalbéra
Newar (/nɪˈwɑːr/; Nepal Bhasa: नेवार, endonym: Newa; Nepal Bhasa: नेवा, Pracalit script: ) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Newars form a linguistic and cultural community of primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman ethnicities following Hinduism and Buddhism with Newar language as their common language. Newars have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilisation not seen elsewhere in the Himalayan foothills. Newars have continued their age-old traditions and practices and pride themselves as the true custodians of the religion, culture and civilisation of Nepal. Newars are known for their contributions to culture, art and literature, trade, agriculture and cuisine. Today, they consistently rank as the most economically, politically and socially advanced community of Nepal, according to the annual Human Development Index published by UNDP. Nepal's 2011 census ranks them as the nation's sixth-largest ethnicity/community, with 1,321,933 Newars throughout the country.
The Kathmandu Valley and surrounding territories constituted the former Newar kingdom of the Nepal Mandala. Unlike other common-origin ethnic or caste groups of Nepal, the Newars are regarded as an example of a nation community with a relict identity, derived from an ethnically-diverse, previously-existing polity. Newar community within it consists of various strands of ethnic, racial, caste and religious heterogeneity, as they are the descendants of the diverse group of people that have lived in Nepal Mandala since prehistoric times. Indo-Aryan tribes like the Licchavis, Kosala, and Mallas (N) from respective Indian Mahajanapada (i.e. Licchavis of Vajji, Kosala, and Malla (I)) that arrived at different periods eventually merged with the local population by adopting their language and customs. These tribes however retained their Vedic culture and brought with them their Sanskritic languages, social structure and Hindu religion, which was assimilated with local cultures and gave rise to the current Newar civilisation. Newar rule in Nepal Mandala ended with its conquest by the Gorkha Kingdom in 1768.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME
The terms "Nepāl", "Newār", "Newāl" and "Nepār" are phonetically different forms of the same word, and instances of the various forms appear in texts in different times in history. Nepal is the learned (Sanskrit) form and Newar is the colloquial (Prakrit) form. A Sanskrit inscription dated to 512 in Tistung, a valley to the west of Kathmandu, contains the phrase "greetings to the Nepals" indicating that the term "Nepal" was used to refer to both the country and the people.
The term "Newar" or "Newa:" referring to "inhabitant of Nepal" appeared for the first time in an inscription dated 1654 in Kathmandu. Italian Jesuit priest Ippolito Desideri (1684–1733) who traveled to Nepal in 1721 has written that the natives of Nepal are called Newars. It has been suggested that "Nepal" may be a sanskritization of "Newar", or "Newar" may be a later form of "Nepal". According to another explanation, the words "Newar" and "Newari" are colloquial forms arising from the mutation of P to W, and L to R.
As a result of the phonological process of dropping the last consonant and lengthening the vowel, "Newā" for Newār or Newāl, and "Nepā" for Nepāl are used in ordinary speech.
HISTORY
For about a thousand years, the Newar civilization in Central Nepal preserved a microcosm of classical North Indian culture in which Brahmanic and Buddhist elements enjoyed equal status. Snellgrove and Richardson (1968) speak of 'the direct heritage of pre-Islamic India'. The Malla dynasty was noted for their patronisation of the Maithili language (the language of the Mithila region) which was afforded an equal status to that of Sanskrit in the Malla court. Maithil Brahmin priests were invited to Kathmandu and many Maithil families settled in Kathmandu during Malla rule. Due to influx of people from both north (Tibet) and south (Bihar) who brought with them not only their genetic and racial diversity but also greatly moulded the dominant culture and tradition of Newars.
The different divisions of Newars had different historical developments. The common identity of Newar was formed in the Kathmandu Valley. Until the conquest of the valley by the Gorkha Kingdom in 1769, all the people who had inhabited the valley at any point of time were either Newar or progenitors of Newar. So, the history of Newar correlates to the history of the Kathmandu Valley (or Nepala Mandala) prior to the establishment of the modern state of Nepal.
The earliest known history of Newar and the Kathmandu Valley blends with mythology recorded in historical chronicles. One such text, which recounts the creation of the valley, is the Swayambhu Purana. According to this Buddhist scripture, the Kathmandu Valley was a giant lake until the Bodhisattva Manjusri, with the aid of a holy sword, cut a gap in the surrounding hills and let the water out. This apocryphal legend is supported by geological evidence of an ancient lakebed, and it provides an explanation for the high fertility of the Kathmandu Valley soil.
According to the Swayambhu Purana, Manjusri then established a city called Manjupattan (Sanskrit "Land Established by Manjusri"), now called Manjipā, and made Dharmākara its king. A shrine dedicated to Manjusri is still present in Majipā. No historical documents have been found after this era till the advent of the Gopal era. A genealogy of kings is recorded in a chronicle called Gopalarajavamsavali. According to this manuscript, the Gopal kings were followed by the Mahispals and the Kirats before the Licchavis entered from the south. Some claim Buddha to have visited Nepal during the reign of Kirat King Jitedasti. Newar reign over the valley and their sovereignty and influence over neighboring territories ended with the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1769 by the Gorkhali Shah dynasty founded by Prithvi Narayan Shah.
Prior to the Gorkha conquest, which began with the Battle of Kirtipur in 1767, the borders of Nepal Mandala extended to Tibet in the north, the nation of the Kirata in the east, the kingdom of Makwanpur in the south and the Trishuli River in the west which separated it from the kingdom of Gorkha.
ECONOMIC HISTORY
Trade, industry and agriculture have been the mainstay of the economy of the Newars. They are made up of social groups associated with hereditary professions that provide ritual and economic services. Merchants, craftsmen, artists, potters, weavers, dyers, farmers and other castes all played their part in creating a flourishing economic system. Elaborate cultural traditions which required the use of varied objects and services also fueled the economy. Towns and villages in the Kathmandu Valley specialized in producing particular products, and rich agriculture produced a surplus for export.
For centuries, Newar merchants have handled trade between Tibet and India Besides exporting locally manufactured products to Tibet. Rice was another major export. Porters and pack mules transported merchandise over mountain tracks that formed the old trade routes. Since the 18th century, Newars have spread out across Nepal and established trading towns dotting the mid hills. They are known as jewelry makers and shopkeepers. Today, they are engaged in modern industry, business and service sectors.
CASTES AND COMMUNITIES
Newars forms an ethnolinguistic community distinct from all the other ethnic groups of Nepal. Newars are divided into various endogamous clans or groups on the basis of their ancient hereditary occupations, deriving its roots in the classic late-Vedic Varna model. Although first introduced in the time of the Licchavis, the present Newar caste system assumed its present shape during the medieval Malla period.
Artisan castes: "Ritually pure" occupational castes (Sat-Shudra): Balami (field workers and farmers), Bha/Karanjit (death ritual specialists), Chipā/Ranjitkar (dyers), Duhim/Putwar/Dali (carriers), Gathu/Mālākār/Mali (gardeners), Khusa/Tandukar (palanquin bearers/farmers), Pahari/Nagarkoti (farmers from Valley outskirts), Kau/Nakarmī (blacksmiths), Nau/Napit (barbers), Puñ/Chitrakar (painters), Sayami/Mānandhar (oilpressers), etc.
Banra/Baré/Shakya: Buddhist temple priests and also traditionally goldsmiths.
Brahmin: The two main groups are: Rajopadhyaya (Dyabhāju Brāhman or Bājyé) who are purohits for Hindu Newars, and Maithil Brahmin (Jhā Bajé) who are temple priests of Kathmandu's various Hindu shrines.
Chyamé/Chamaha: Traditionally fishermen, sweepers. A Scheduled Caste.
Dhobi: Traditionally washermen. A Scheduled Caste.
Dyahla/Podé: Traditionally temple cleaners, fishermen, sweepers. A Scheduled Caste.
Gubhāju/Bajracharya: Buddhist purohits and temple priests of Kathmandu's various Buddhist shrines.
Jyapu: Traditionally farmers; majority of Newar population inside Kathmandu Valley. Also includes Suwāl, Basukala, etc. (Bhaktapur Hindu Jyapus), Kumhā/Prajapati (potterers and clay workers), Awalé (brickmakers), Sāpu (descendants of Gopāl dynasty), etc.
Jogi/Kapali (Newar caste): A caste associated as being descendants of the Kanphata Yogi sect. Also traditionally tailors, musicians. Previously, a Scheduled Caste.
Kshatriya: Chatharīya Srēṣṭha aristocratic bloc which includes Malla descendants, their numerous Hindu courtier clans (Pradhan, Pradhananga, Maskay, Hada, Amātya, Mathema, etc.) and Kshatriya-status specialists like Joshi (astrologers), Vaidya (Ayurvedic practitioners), Rajbhandārī (treasurers), Karmāchārya (Tantric priests), Kayastha (scribes), among others.
Kulu/Dom: Traditionally leather workers. A Scheduled Caste.
Nayé/Khadgi: Traditionally butchers and musicians. Previously, a Scheduled Caste.
Panchthariya Srēṣṭha: Chief Hindu trader and merchant group including Shrestha (administrators and traders).
Rajkarnikar or Halwai: Traditional confectioners and sweetmakers. Kathmandu Halwais are Buddhist, whereas Lalitpur Halwais are Hindu.
Shilpakar: Wood carvers.
Tamrakar: Trader and merchant group from Lalitpur; traditionally involved as coppersmiths.
Urāya/Udās: Chief Buddhist trader, merchant and artisan group including Tuladhar and Bania (merchants), Kansakar (bronzesmiths), Sthapit, Kasthakar (architects/carpenters), etc.
RELIGION
According to the 2011 Nepal Census, 87.38% of the Newars were Hindu and 10.74% were Buddhist.
Out of the three main cities of the Kathmandu Valley which are historically Newar, the city of Patan is the most Buddhist containing the four stupas built by Indian emperor Ashoka. Bhaktapur is primarily Hindu, while Kathmandu is a mix of both. Generally, both Hindu and Buddhist deities are worshiped and festivals are celebrated by both religious groups. However, for ritual activities, Hindu and Buddhist Newars have their own priests (Rajopadhyaya Brahmins for Hindus and Vajracharyas for Buddhists) and varying amounts of cultural differences.
Religiously, the Newars can be classified as both Hindu and Buddhist. The major cults are Vajrayana Buddhism and Tantric Hinduism. The former is referred to as Buddhamarga, the latter as Sivamarga. Both creeds have been established since antiquity in the valley. Both Buddhamargi and Sivamargi Newars are Tantricists, Within the Newar community, many different esoteric Tantric cults of Buddhist, Shaiva, and Vaishnava denominationd are practiced. In this regard, cults of the Mother Goddesses and their consorts, the Bhairavas, are particularly important.
The most important shrines in the Valley are Swayambhunath (Buddhist) and Pashupatinath (Hindu). Different castes worship different deities at different occasions, and more or less intensively. Only the higher echelons in the caste system claim to be exclusively Buddhist or Hindu. The Vajracharyas, Buddhist priests, will adamantly maintain that they are Buddhists, and so will the Bare (Shakya) and the Uray (Tuladhars, et al.), whereas, the Dyabhāju Brāhman, the Jha Brāhman, and the dominant Shresthas will maintain that they are Hindus. Further down in the caste hierarchy no distinction is made between Buddhists and Hindus. Hindu and Buddhist alike always worship Ganesh first in every ritual, and every locality has its local Ganesh shrine (Ganesh Than).
Although Newar Buddhism (Vajrayana) had been traditionally practiced in the Kathmandu Valley, Theravada Buddhism made a comeback in Nepal in the 1920s and now is a common form of Buddhism among Buddhamargi Newars.
LANGUAGE
"Nepal Bhasa" is classified as among the Sino-Tibetan languages but it has greatly derived much of its grammar, words and lexicon from the influences of southern Indo-Aryan languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Maithili. Newars are bound together by a common language and culture. Their common language is Nepal Bhasa or the linguistic progenitor of that language. Nepal Bhasa is the term recognised by the government.
Nepal Bhasa already existed as a spoken language during the Licchavi period and is believed to have developed from the language spoken in Nepal during the Kirati period. Inscriptions in Nepal Bhasa emerged from the 12th century, the palm-leaf manuscript from Uku Bahah being the first example. Nepal Bhasa developed from the 14th to the late 18th centuries as the court and state language. It was used universally in stone and copper inscriptions, sacred manuscripts, official documents, journals, title deeds, correspondence and creative writing.
In 2011, there were approximately 846,000 native speakers of Nepal Bhasa. Many Newar communities within Nepal also speak their own dialects of Nepal Bhasa, such as the Dolakha Newar Language. Nepal Bhasa is of Tibeto-Burman origin but has been heavily influenced by Indo-Aryan languages like Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali and Maithili.
SCRIPTS
Nepal Bhasa script is a group of scripts that developed from the Brahmi script and are used primarily to write Nepal Bhasa and Sanskrit. Among the different scripts, Ranjana, Bhujinmol, and Prachalit are the most common. Nepal script is also known as Nepal Lipi and Nepal Akhala.
Nepal Bhasa scripts appeared in the 10th century. For a thousand years, it was used on stone and copper plate inscriptions, coins (Nepalese mohar), palm-leaf documents and Hindu and Buddhist manuscripts. Devanagari began to be used to write Nepal Bhasa in the beginning of the 20th century, and Nepal script has limited usage today.
LITERATURE
Nepal Bhasa is one of the five languages in the Sino-Tibetan family with an ancient literary tradition. Literature in Nepal Bhasa began as translation and commentary in prose in the 14th century AD. The earliest known document in Nepal Bhasa is called "The Palmleaf from Uku Bahal" which dates from 1114 AD during the Thakuri period.
Classical Nepal Bhasa literature is represented by all the three major genres—prose, poetry, and drama. Most of the writings consist of prose including chronicles, popular stories and scientific manuals. Poetry consists of love songs, ballads, work songs, and religious poetry. The earliest poems date from the 1570s. Epic poetry describing historical events and tragedies are very popular. The ballads Sitala Maju, about the expulsion of children from Kathmandu, Silu, about an ill-fated pilgrimage to Gosaikunda, and Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni, about a luckless Tibet trader, are sung as seasonal songs.
The dramas are based on stories from the epics, and almost all of them were written during the 17th and 18th centuries. Nepal Bhasa literature flourished for five centuries until 1850. Since then, it suffered a period of decline due to political oppression. The period 1909–1941 is known as the Nepal Bhasa renaissance period when writers defied official censure and braved imprisonment to create literary works. Modern Nepal Bhasa literature began in the 1940s with the emergence of new genres like short stories, poems, essays, novels and plays.
POLITICS
NEWA AUTONOMOUS STATE
Newa Autonomous State is a proposed federal state of Nepal which establishes the historical native homeland of Newa people as a federal state. The historical territories of Newars is called Nepal Mandala. The Newa Autonomous State mandates to reconstruct the district division and create an autonomous Newa province. It includes historically Newa residing settlements and Newa dominant zones of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Newa towns of Dolakha, Newa settlements of Nuwakot, Newa settlements of Makwanpur, Newa settlements of Ramechhap, Newa settlements of Sindupalchok, Newa settlements of Kavre West.
DANCE
MASKED DANCE
The Newar dance consists of sacred masked dance, religious dance without the use of masks known as Dyah Pyakhan, dance performed as part of a ritual and meditation practice known as Chachaa Pyakhan (Nepal Bhasa: चचा प्याखं) (Charya Nritya in Sanskrit) and folk dance. There are also masked dance dramas known as Daboo Pyakhan which enact religious stories to the accompaniment of music.
DHIME DANCE
The dance done in the tune of Dhime are Dhime dance.
MUSIC
Traditional Newa music consists of sacred music, devotional songs, seasonal songs, ballads and folk songs. One of the most well-known seasonal songs is Sitala Maju. The ballad describes the expulsion of children from Kathmandu in the early 19th century. Another seasonal song Silu is about a pilgrimage to Gosaikunda that went wrong. Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni is a tragedy song about a newly married couple. The ballad Rajamati about unlucky lovers is widely popular. In 1908, maestro Seturam Shrestha made the first recording of the song on gramophone disc in Kolkata.
Common percussion instruments consist of the dhimay, khin, naykhin and dhaa. Wind instruments include the bansuri (flute), payntah (long trumpet) and mwahali (short trumpet), chhusya, bhusya, taa (cymbals), and gongs are other popular instruments. String instruments are very rare. Newa people call their music Dhime Baja.
The musical style and musical instruments are still in use today. Musical bands accompany religious processions in which an idol of a deity is placed in a chariot or portable shrine and taken around the city. Devotional songs are known as bhajan may be sung daily in community houses. Hymn societies like Gyanmala Bhajan Khala hold regular recitals. Dapa songs are sung during hymn singing seasons at Temple squares and sacred courtyards.
Gunla Bajan musical bands parade through the streets during Gunla, the 10th month of the Nepal Sambat calendar which is a holy month for Newar Buddhists. Musical performances start with an overture which is a salutation to the gods.
Seasonal songs and ballads are associated with particular seasons and festivals. Music is also played during wedding processions, life-cycle ceremonies and funeral processions.
ART
The Newars are the creators of most examples of art and architecture in Nepal. Traditional Newar art is basically religious art. Newar devotional paubha painting, sculpture and metal craftsmanship are world-renowned for their exquisite beauty. The earliest dated paubha discovered so far is Vasudhara Mandala which was painted in 1365 AD (Nepal Sambat 485).[72] The murals on the walls of two 15th-century monasteries in the former kingdom of Mustang in the Nepal Himalaya provide illustrations of Newar works outside the Kathmandu Valley. Stone sculpture, wood carving, repoussé art and metal statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities made by the lost-wax casting process are specimens of Newar artistry. The Peacock Window of Bhaktapur and Desay Madu Jhya of Kathmandu are known for their wood carving.
Building elements like the carved Newar window, roof struts on temples and the tympanum of temples and shrine houses exhibit traditional creativity. From as early as the seventh century, visitors have noted the skill of Newar artists and craftsmen who left their influence on the art of Tibet and China. Newars introduced the lost-wax technique into Bhutan and they were commissioned to paint murals on the walls of monasteries there. Sandpainting of mandala made during festivals and death rituals is another specialty of Newar art.
Besides exhibiting a high level of skill in the traditional religious art, Newar artists have been at the forefront of introducing Western art styles in Nepal. Raj Man Singh Chitrakar (1797-1865) is credited with starting watercolor painting in the country. Bhaju Man Chitrakar (1817–1874), Tej Bahadur Chitrakar (1898-1971) and Chandra Man Singh Maskey were other pioneer artists who introduced modern style paintings incorporating concepts of lighting and perspective.
TRADITIONAL PAINTING
Paubhā
Thanka
ARCHITECTURE
There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 2,500 temples and shrines in the Kathmandu Valley that illustrate the skill and aesthetic sense of Newar artisans. Fine brickwork and woodcarving are the marks of Newar architecture. Residential houses, monastic courtyards known as baha and bahi, rest houses, temples, stupas, priest houses and palaces are the various architectural structures found in the valley. Most of the chief monuments are located in the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, the old royal palace complexes built between the 12th and 18th centuries.
Newa architecture consists of the pagoda, stupa, shikhara, chaitya and other styles. The valley's trademark is the multiple-roofed pagoda which may have originated in this area and spread to India, China, Indochina and Japan. The most famous artisan who influenced stylistic developments in China and Tibet was Arniko, a Newar youth who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century AD. He is known for building the white stupa at the Miaoying Temple in Beijing
SETTLEMENTS
Durbar squares, temple squares, sacred courtyards, stupas, open-air shrines, dance platforms, sunken water fountains, public rest houses, bazaars, multistoried houses with elaborately carved windows and compact streets are the characteristics of traditional planning. Besides the historical cities of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi, Chovar, Bungamati, Thankot and Kirtipur, small towns with a similar artistic heritage dot the Kathmandu Valley where almost half of the Newar population lives.
Outside the valley, historical Newar settlements include Nuwakot, Nala, Banepa, Dhulikhel, Panauti, Dolakha, Chitlang and Bhimphedi. The Newars of Kathmandu founded Pokhara in 1752 at the invitation of the rulers of Kaski. Over the last two centuries, Newars have fanned out of the Kathmandu Valley and established trade centers and settled in various parts of Nepal. Bandipur, Baglung, Silgadhi and Tansen in west Nepal and Chainpur and Bhojpur in east Nepal contain large Newar populations.
Outside Nepal, many Newars have settled in Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal, Assam, Manipur and Sikkim, India. Newars have also settled in Bhutan. Colonies of expatriate Newar merchants and artisans existed in Lhasa, Shigatse and Gyantse in Tibet till the mid-1960s when the traditional trade came to an end after the Sino-Indian War. In recent times, Newars have moved to different parts of Asia, Europe and America.
FESTIVALS
Newar religious culture is rich in ceremony and is marked by frequent festivals throughout the year. Many festivals are tied to Hindu and Buddhist holidays and the harvest cycle. Street celebrations include pageants, jatras or processions in which a car or portable shrine is paraded through the streets and sacred masked dances. Other festivals are marked by family feasts and worship. The celebrations are held according to the lunar calendar, so the dates are changeable.
Mohani (Dasain) is one of the greatest annual celebrations which is observed for several days with feasts, religious services, and processions. During Swanti (Tihar), Newars celebrate New Year's Day of Nepal Sambat by doing Mha Puja, a ritual in which a mandala is worshipped, that purifies and strengthens one spiritually for the coming year. Similarly, Bhai Tika is also done during Swanti. It is a ritual observed to worship and respect a woman's brothers, with or without blood relation. Another major festival is Sā Pāru when people who have lost a family member in the past year dress up as cows and saints, and parade through town, following a specific route. In some cases, a real cow may also be a part of the parade. People give such participants money, food and other gifts as a donation. Usually, children are the participants of the parade.
In Kathmandu, the biggest street festival is Yenya (Indra Jatra) when three cars bearing the living goddess Kumari and two other child gods are pulled through the streets and masked dance performances are held. The two godchildren are Ganesh and Bhairav. Another major celebration is Pahan Charhe when portable shrines bearing images of mother goddesses are paraded through Kathmandu. During the festival of Jana Baha Dyah Jatra, a temple car with an image of Karunamaya is drawn through central Kathmandu for three days. A similar procession is held in Lalitpur known as Bunga Dyah Jatra which continues for a month and climaxes with Bhoto Jatra, the display of the sacred vest. The biggest outdoor celebration in Bhaktapur is Biska Jatra (Bisket Jatra) which is marked by chariot processions and lasts for nine days. Sithi Nakha is another big festival when worship is offered and natural water sources are cleaned. In addition, all Newar towns and villages have their particular festival which is celebrated by holding a chariot or palanquin procession.
Paanch Chare is one of the many occasions or festivals celebrated by the Newa community, natives from Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. This is celebrated on the Chaturdasi (Pisach Chaturdashi) day according to new lunar calendar on the month of Chaitra.
CLOTHING
Western wear is the norm as in urban areas in the rest of the country. Traditional costumes consist of haku tapuli(black cap), dhakatapuli(dhaka cap),trousers (suruwā) and long shirts (tappālan) and gaa(long length shawl)for men, blouse,bhoto (misālan) and hakupatashi, Chireparshi(sari) and gaa(long length shawl) for women and ankle-length gowns (bhāntānlan) for girls. Ritual dresses consist of pleated gowns, coats and a variety of headresses. Similarly, a shawl (gā) are worn by men and women. Traditionally, Newar women wear a shoe made out of red cloth, Kapaà lakaan. It is decorated with glitters and colorful beads (potya). One of the major parts of Newar dress ups is bracelets (chūra) and mala(necklaces).
CUISINE
Meals can be classified into three main categories: the daily meal, the afternoon snack and festival food. The daily meal consists of boiled rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry and relish. Meat is also served. The snack generally consists of rice flakes, roasted and curried soybeans, curried potato and roasted meat mixed with spices.
Food is also an important part of the ritual and religious life of the Newars, and the dishes served during festivals and feasts have symbolic significance. Different sets of ritual dishes are placed in a circle around the staple Bawji (rice flakes or Flattened) to represent and honour different sets of deities depending on the festival or life-cycle ceremony.[
Kwāti (क्वाति soup of different beans), kachilā (कचिला spiced minced meat), chhoyalā (छोयला water buffalo meat marinated in spices and grilled over the flames of dried wheat stalks), pukālā (पुकाला fried meat), wo (वः lentil cake), paun kwā (पाउँक्वा sour soup), swan pukā (स्वँपुका stuffed lungs), syen (स्येँ fried liver), mye (म्ये boiled and fried tongue), sapu mhichā (सःपू म्हिचा leaf tripe stuffed with bone marrow), sanyā khunā (सन्या खुना jellied fish soup) and takhā (तःखा jellied meat) are some of the popular festival foods. Dessert consists of dhau (धौ yogurt), sisābusā (सिसाबुसा fruits) and mari (मरि sweets). Thwon (थ्वँ rice beer) and aylā (अयला local alcohol) are the common alcoholic liquors that Newars make at home.
Traditionally, at meals, festivals and gatherings, Newars sit on long mats in rows. Typically, the sitting arrangement is hierarchical with the eldest sitting at the top and the youngest at the end. Newar cuisine makes use of mustard oil and a host of spices such as cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, mint, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chilli and mustard seeds. Food is served in laptya (लप्त्य plates made of special leaves, held together by sticks). Similarly, any soups are served in botā (बोटा bowls made of leaves). Liquors are served in Salinchā (सलिंचाः bowls made of clay) and Kholchā (खोल्चाः small metal bowls).
Newar people are much innovative in terms of cuisine. They have a tradition to prepare various foods according to the festivals. Some of the popular cuisines that are prepared with the festivals are:
LIFE-CYCLE CEREMONIES
Elaborate ceremonies chronicle the life cycle of a Newar from birth till death. Newars consider life-cycle rituals as a preparation for death and the life after it. Hindus and Buddhists alike perform the "Sorha Sanskaar Karma" or the 16 sacred rites of passage, unavoidable in a Hindu person's life. The 16 rites have been shortened to 10 and called "10 Karma Sanskar" (Nepal Bhasa: दश कर्म संस्कार). These include important events of a person's life like "Jatakarma" (Nepal Bhasa: जातकर्म) (Childbirth), "Namakaran" (Nepal Bhasa: नामकरण) (Naming the child), "Annapraasan" (Nepal Bhasa: अन्नप्राशन) (First rice feeding ceremony), "Chudakarma" or "Kaeta Puja" (first hair shaving and loin cloth ceremony), "Vivaaha" (Nepal Bhasa: विवाह) (Wedding), among others.
CHUDAKARMA CEREMONY (Bare Chuyegu/Acharyabhisheka or Bratabandha/Upanayana)
Once such important rite of passage ceremony among the male Newars is performing the loin-cloth and head-shaving ceremony called Chudākarma (Nepal Bhasa: चुडाकर्म) or Kaeta Puja (Nepal Bhasa: काएत पूजा) which is traditionally performed for boys aged five to thirteen according to the religious affiliation Newars identify with.
In this ceremony, Buddhist Newars - Gubhāju-Baré (Bajracharya-Shakya), Urāy, Jyapu and few artisan castes like Chitrakār - perform their Pravrajyā (Sanskrit: प्रवराज्या) and Chudākarma ceremony by mimicking Gautama Buddha's ascetic and medicant lifestyle and the steps to attain monkhood and nirvana where the boy stays in a Buddhist monastery, Vihara, for three days, living the life of a monk and abandoning all material pleasures. On the fourth day, he disrobes and returns to his family and henceforth becomes a householder Buddhist for the rest of his life. The Buddhist priestly clan Gubhāju-Baré (Bajracharya and Shakya) go through an additional initiation ceremony called Bare Chuyegu (becoming a Baré) while Bajracharya boys are further required to go through Acharyabhisheka (Sanskrit: आचार्याभिषेक) which is a Tantric initiation rite that qualifies a Bajracharya to perform as a purohita.
Hindu Newars perform the male initiation ceremony as a ritual observance of the brahmachārya - the first stage in the traditional four stages of life. During the ritual, the young boy renounces family and lineage for the celibate religious life. His head is fully shaved except a tuft in the top, he must don yellow/orange robes of the mendicant, he must beg rice from his relatives and prepare to wander out into the world. Having this symbolically fulfilled the ascetic ideal, he can be called back by his family to assume the life of a householder and his eventual duty as a husband and a father. Twice-born (Brahmin and Kshatriya) Newars - Rajopādhyāyas and Chatharīyas - additionally perform the Upanayana initiation where the boy receives his sacred thread (Sanskrit: यज्ञोपवीत) and the secret Vedic mantras - RV.3.62.10 (Gāyatrī mantra) for Brahmins and RV.1.35.2 (Shiva mantra) for Chatharīyas. The boy is then fully inducted into his caste status as a Dvija with the obligation to observe henceforth all commensal rules and other caste obligations(Nepal Bhasa: कर्म चलेको).
MACHA JANKU
This is the rice feeding ceremony, "Annapraasan" (Nepal Bhasa: अन्नप्राशन). It is performed at the age of six or eight months for boys and at the age of five or seven months for girls.
IHI CEREMONY
For a female child, Ihi (Ehee)(Nepal Bhasa: ईहि) short for Ihipaa (Eheepā)(Nepal Bhasa: ईहिपा) (Marriage) is performed between the ages of five to nine. It is a ceremony in which pre-adolescent girls are "married" to the bael fruit (wood apple), which is a symbol of the god Vishnu. It is believed that if the girl's husband dies later in her life, she is not considered a widow because she is married to Vishnu, and so already has a husband that is believed to be still alive.
BAHRA
Girls have yet another ceremonial ritual called Bahra Chuyegu(Nepal Bhasa: बराह चुयेगु) when a girl approaches puberty. This is done in her odd number year like 7,9 or 11 before mensuration. She is kept in a room for 12 days hidden and is ceremonially married to the sun god Surya.
JANKWA
Jankwa or Janku is an old-age ceremony which is conducted when a person reaches the age of 77 years, seven months, seven days, seven hours, seven minutes, seven-quarter. Three further Janku ceremonies are performed at similar auspicious milestones at age 83, 88 and 99. The first Janwa is called "Bhimratharohan", the second "Chandraratharohan", the third "Devaratharohan", and the fourth "Divyaratharohan". After the second Jankwa, the person is accorded deified status.
VIVAAHA (WEDDING)
The next ceremony common to both boys and girls is marriage and the rituals performed are similar to most normal Hindui marriages. The Newar custom, similar to that of Hindus, is that the bride almost always leaves home at marriage and moves into her husband's home and adopts her husband's family name as her own. Cross-cousin and parallel-cousin marriage is forbidden. Marriage is usually arranged by parents who use a gobetween(lamee). Marriage by elopement is popular in some peripheral villages.
The Sagan ceremony where auspicious food items are presented is an important part of life-cycle rituals.
All Newars, except the Laakumi and Jogi caste, cremate their dead. The Jogis bury their dead. As part of the funeral, offerings are made to the spirit of the deceased, the crow and the dog. The crow and the dog represent ancestors and the god of death. Subsequently, offerings and rituals are conducted four, seven, eight, 13 and 45 days following death and monthly for a year and then annually.
Buddhist Newars also make a mandala (sand painting) depicting the Buddha on the third day after death which is preserved for four days.
NEWA GAMES
The games which had been played by prasanga people from their ancient time can be classified as Newa games.
Kana kana pichha (Blindfold game), Piyah (a game played with stone by pushing stone within the marks drawn in the ground), Gatti ( another game played with stone by hand), pasa are some games played by Newar people since ancient time.
NOTABLE NEWAR PEOPLE
Sankhadhar Sakhwa (879 AD) philanthropist, related to Nepal Sambat
Shukra Raj Shastri (1894-1941), Freedom Fighter, Martyr
Gangalal Shrestha (1919-1941), Freedom Fighter, Martyr
Dharma Bhakta Mathema (1908-1941), Freedom Fighter, Martyr
Ganesh Man Singh (1915-1997) Freedom Fighter, Leader
Pushpa Lal Shrestha (1924-1978), Founder of Communist Party of Nepal
Marich Man Singh Shrestha (1942-2013) Ex. Prime Minister
Sahana Pradhan (1927-2014), Leader of CPN-ML, Ex. Deputy PM
Baikuntha Manandhar (b. 1952), Fastest Runner who competed at four consecutive Olympic Games, from 1976 to 1988.
Siddhicharan Shrestha (1912-1992), Poet, aka Yug Kavi
Chittadhar Hridaya (19 May 1906 – 9 June 1982), Poet, aka Kavi Keshari
Satya Mohan Joshi (b.1920), Scholar of history and culture
Narayan Gopal (1939-1990), Singer, aka Swar Samrat
Pashupati Bhakta Maharjan, Chief secretary of King Birendra and King Gyanendra of Nepal
Tara Devi (1945-2006), Singer, aka Swar Samragi
Kashiraj Pradhan (b.1905), Pro democracy leader in erstwhile Kingdom of Sikkim
Phatteman Rajbhandari, Singer
Nahakul Pradhan, pro democracy leader in erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim
Prem Dhoj Pradhan (b.1938), Singer
Ganga Prasad Pradhan, main translator of Nepali Bible
Madan Krishna Shrestha (b.1950), Actor
Shiv Shrestha, Actor
Kumar Pradhan, Historian
Shree Krishna Shrestha, (19 April 1967 – 10 August 2014), Actor
Durga Lal Shrestha, (b. July 1937), poet of Nepal Bhasa and Nepali
Poornima Shrestha, (b. 6 September 1960), Bollywood film playback singer
Narayan Man Bijukchhe, (b. 9 March 1939), writer, Member of the Legislature Parliament of Nepal
Binod Pradhan, Bollywood cinematographer
Adrian Pradhan, Vocalist
Namrata Shrestha, famous Nepali actress
Karna Shakya, environmentalist, conservationist, hotel entrepreneur, writer and philanthropist
Tara Bir Singh Tuladhar, artist and composer on the classical string instrument Sitar
Aashirman DS Joshi, Actor
Ayushman Joshi, Actor
Sanju Pradhan, Footballer
Jharana Bajracharya - Miss Nepal 1997
Usha Khadgi - Miss Nepal 2000
Payal Shakya - Miss Nepal 2004
Sadichha Shrestha,(b. 23 November 1991), Miss Nepal World 2010
Sahana Bajracharya - Miss Nepal Earth 2010 | Model| Actress | Media Personality
Malina Joshi - Miss Nepal World 2011
Sarina Maskey - Miss Nepal International 2011
Shristi Shrestha - Miss Nepal World 2012 & Miss World 2012-Top 20 finalist
Nagma Shrestha - Miss Nepal Earth 2012 | Miss Nepal Universe 2017
Ishani Shrestha - Miss Nepal World 2013 & Miss World 2013- Beauty With A Purpose | Top 10 finalist
Prinsha Shrestha - Miss Nepal Earth 2014
Sonie Rajbhandari - Miss Nepal International 2014
Evana Manandhar - Miss Nepal 2015
Asmi Shrestha - Miss Nepal 2016
Ronali Amatya - Miss Nepal International 2018
Anushka Shrestha - Miss Nepal World 2019 & Miss World 2019- Beauty With A Purpose | Miss Multimedia | Top 12 finalist
Meera Kakshapati - Miss Nepal International 2019
Ashish Pradhan - Footballer
WIKIPEDIA
Exquisite framed silver works from an altar frontal
Estimate: PHP 120,000 - 130,000
19th century
Central Luzon
Silver, kamagong
16 x 55 cm (6 x 21 1/2 in)
During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, only the best artisans – including silversmiths – were used to work on ornamentations to decorate the churches’ altars. This excellently crafted work in fine silver were parts of a large and intricate church altar frontal incorporating ivyleaf morning glory (Ipomea hederacea) with foliates and vines interlacing sinuously, combining repoussé and chasing techniques to obtain an exceptionally naturalistic appearance. As morning glory flower blooms and dies within a single day but the vine produces new flowers every day during its growth season, it has come to symbolize the renewable nature of love, and to Christians the finite nature of life. Framed beautifully in dark kamagong wood.
Lot 207 of the Salcedo Auctions auction on 26 September 2020. Please see salcedoauctions.com for more details.
This bowl was decorated using the repoussé technique, in which reliefs are hammered from the inside. On the bottom is a star-shaped rosette of eight points with acanthus leaves, from which tendrils terminating in flowers and fan-shaped palmettes rise. Erotes on each side fly toward one another.
Greek, Hellenistic, 2nd-1st century BCE. Said to be from Olbia (near modern Parutyne, Northern Black Sea region, formerly Russian Empire, now Ukraine)
Met Museum, New York (22.50.2)
© Hughes Léglise-Bataille/Wostok Press
France, Nanterre
19.01.2010
Plusieurs centaines de jeunes ont affronte les forces de l'ordre pres du lycee Joliot Curie a Nanterre le 19/10/2010 pour la deuxieme journee consecutive. Plusieurs voitures ont ete brulees, du mobilier urbain detruit, avant que les casseurs soient repousses dans la cite Pablo Picasso.
Hundreds of youth fought the police near the college Joliot Curie in Nanterre, in the suburbs of Paris, on October 19, 2010 for the second day in a row. A couple of cars were burned and bus stops smashed before they were pushed back in the Pablo Picasso complex.
Bowl with a Medallion Depicting Dionysos and Ariadne; Unknown; about 100 B.C.; Silver with gilding; 16.2 × 2.7 cm
LA Getty Villa 83.AM.389.1
The center of this shallow bowl is decorated with a separately made emblema (medallion), which was hammered from the back using the repousse technique and further embellished from the front to depict a youthful Dionysos and Ariadne together with a seated Silenos. Sprouting from the rocky ground, two leafy grape tendrils surround the figures. The god of wine is largely nude, wearing only a short cloak, with his thrysos standing upright beside him. He embraces Ariadne with his right arm, caressing her chin with his left. The ground, draperies, hair, jewelry, thyrsos staff and tendril are all gilded, as are the pattern bands around bowl itself.
The repoussé frame has vine-scroll foliate ornamentation with inserted holy images. The central part of the upper frame contains a depiction of the Preparation of the Throne, (Hetoimasia) accompanied by half-figures of frontal Archangels depicted in the corners.
Source:
Deep red velveteen box with a fitted repoussé top set on the ground at arm's length from the ropes around the perimeter of the Medicine Wheel, perhaps with a memento or symbolic treasure within.
The Wyoming "Medicine Wheel" comprises an 80-foot diameter circle outlined in white stones (from the local area) with 28 white rock "spokes" and a white rock cairn in the center. Its precise age as a sacred site discovered by indigenous people has not been established but it has certainly been in continuous use for at least 3 millennia. It is still used for ceremonies and similar events by area Natives as well as non-natives today. The precise history of this Medicine Wheel is not known, but there are other, similarly constructed sites throughout the North American west, including in the U.S. and Canada.
The cognizant agency, by agreement with indigenous stakeholders, grants entry into the inner circle only for legitimate use by indigenous groups.
If you visit, please resist the temptation to enter the sacred space, and if you are there when the inner circle is in use, please observe from a respectful distance, and leave promptly if asked to as activities conducted therein may not be open to outsiders. Do not disturb objects left around or inside the wheel, or photograph the celebrants without their explicit permission.
The site is on a high promontory of Medicine Mountain, a little over 30 miles from the town of Lovell, Wyoming.
When not being used for traditional purposes by modern Indian tribal groups, it's open for public visitation year 'round. A designated Historic Landmark, it is under the protection of the US Forest Service, which from June 1- September 30 staffs a small informational kiosk at the trail head to the Wheel.
Anyone can leave offerings around the outside of the wheel, which is bounded by ropes hung along wood stanchions, at any time. At this elevation - nearly 10,000 feet - any object imbued with prayers will be that much closer to The Maker, and just might be carried aloft by the strong winds.
Most people make the lovely and not-difficult 1-1/2 mile walk from the parking area to the Wheel. Visitors with handicapped designation may drive to the top. Hunters can use powered vehicles – typically ATVs – to bypass the sacred site on the way to designated hunting areas in the Bighorn National Forest.
Dans l’abside du chœur, autel majeur Louis XIV en bois peint, dessiné par C. Van Nerven au XVIIIe siècle; de part et d’autre du retable, peint par S.J. Van Helmont au début du XVIIIe siècle et figurant la Cananéenne, portique à colonnes corinthiennes et entablement surmonté de deux vases ornés de guirlandes ; au-dessus, baldaquin lambrequiné et manteau royal immense. Précédant l’autel, stalles en chêne du premier quart du XVIIIe siècle, dont les sculptures, dues à J.-B. van der Haeghen et J. Bergé, racontent la légende de saint Nicolas. Fermant le chœur, grille Louis XV en fer forgé et repoussé, avec dorures, provenant de l’abbaye norbertine de Ninove et acquise en 1806.
In the choir apse, Louis XIV major altar in painted wood, designed by C. Van Nerven in the 18th century; on either side of the altarpiece, painted by S.J. Van Helmont at the beginning of the 18th century and depicting the Canaanite woman, portico with Corinthian columns and entablature surmounted by two vases decorated with garlands; above, lambrequined canopy and immense royal mantle. Preceding the altar, oak stalls from the first quarter of the 18th century, whose sculptures, due to J.-B. van der Haeghen and J. Bergé, tell the legend of Saint Nicholas. Closing the choir, Louis XV gate in wrought and embossed iron, with gilding, coming from the Norbertine abbey of Ninove and acquired in 1806.
A shrine in the garden of the Patan Museum, Nepal.
More photos from the trip : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157709610673461
From Wikipedia : "The Patan Museum is a museum located in Patan, Lalitpur, Nepal. The museum falls under the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The Patan Museum was inaugurated in 1997 by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah. The Patan Museum displays the traditional sacred arts of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential court of Patan Darbar, one of the royal palaces of former Malla Kings of the Kathmandu Valley. The Museum’s exhibits cover a long span of Nepal’s cultural history and some rare objects are among its treasures. Most of the objects are cast bronzes and gilt copper repoussé work, traditional crafts for which Patan is famous."
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© D.Godliman
Photo André Knoerr, Genève. Reproduction autorisée avec mention de la source.
Utilisation commerciale soumise à autorisation spéciale préalable.
La motrice Mirage Be 4/6 1674 est engagée sur la "Museumslinie" 21 desservant le Musée des Trams du Burgwies. A cette dernière course de la journée (horaire hivernal) elle affiche déjà "Bahnhof Oerlikon". Une des deux motrices Mirage Be 4/6 1674-1675 préservées stationne en effet au dépôt d'Oerlikon tandis que l'autre est exposée au Musée.
Les VBZ ont été trop pressés de déclasser les douze autres Mirages initialement prévus pour la réserve et manquent actuellement cruellement de matériel. Ceci d'autant plus que la signature d'un contrat pour l'achat d'une nouvelle génération de motrices ne cesse d'être repoussée!
Sto. Niño or Holy Child
In the posture of the Salvador del Mundo or Savior of the World
18th Century
FILIPINO. Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Ivory head and hands joined to a wooden body. Glass eyes. Fiber wig. The whole mounted on an elaborate Rococo inspired base.
Dimensions: With base: 43 cm H x 23 cm L x 11 cm W or 17” x 9” x 4 1/2”
Without base: 30 cm x 13 cm x 9 cm or 12” x 5” x 3 1/2”
Provenance: Property of a distinguished Manila gentleman.
Purchased in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
A charming and highly sophisticated image of the Sto. Niño or Holy Child categorized as a Salvador del Mundo or Savior of the World. The earliest prototypes of these images came from Flanders (the Netherlands); and the earliest extant example of this type in the Philippines is that of the Sto. Niño of Cebu believed to have been brought to the islands by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
The figure of the child Jesus stands with his weight on his right leg and his right foot thrust slightly forward. The left leg is relaxed and the left foot thrust back for balance. The body leans to the right with exceptionally naturalistic pose. The image exhibits much movement as can be detected by the gesticulating hands and the undulating feet with the right foot slightly elevated to suggest arrested motion.
The Salvador wears a Tabard giving the whole a slightly medieval air. A tabard is a sleeveless jerkin consisting only of front and back pieces with a hole for the head The tabard is made of silver worked in repoussé of interlocking, rhomboid shapes. The round collar is particularly noteworthy as it is beautifully chased in foliate shapes. Underneath, the child wears unbleached cotton undergarments consisting of pantaloons and a shirt with long sleeves that covers his arms. The tabard is seamed and closed at the back. The Christ child is shod in boots.
The head is exceptionally well carved with the face beautifully rendered. The face is slightly elongated. The forehead is broad and the eyebrows are arched and painted brown almost the color of coffee. Inset glass eyes. The nose is long and straight. The lips are thin and slightly pursed with the edges tilting upward in a slight intimation of a smile. Dimples appear on his cheeks. The lips are outlined in an orange-red tinge typical of most ivory images made in the Philippines. Navarro de Pintado (1986, p. 107) describes the color as “crimson” but a closer analysis reveals that Gatbonton’s assessment of the “orangish” hue are more on point (1983, p. 27 ).
The Christ child wears a wig of fiber hair. On top of his head, he wears an imperial crown (Corona Imperial) made of repoussé silver fire-gilded in gold in the technique which has come to be known as dorado de fuego (or dorado al fuego). The orb is similarly gilded.
Dorado de fuego or fire gilding is a time honored process by which an amalgam of gold is applied to metallic surfaces. The technique is highly dangerous and volatile because it involves the use of Mercury which, when melted, gives off toxic fumes. If absorbed (which is easily done by inhalation), the fumes can cause neurological and other bodily disorders and even death. The dorado de fuego technique have subsequently been supplanted by electroplating gold over nickel which is more economical and less dangerous.
The Salvador is mounted on an elaborate, rococo inspired base or peana. The base is original to the image which helps to date the piece to the 18th century. The Rococo is an artistic style that blossomed in the middle part of the 18th century as a reaction against the excessive regulation and symmetry of the baroque. The style derives its name from a combination of the French words rocaille (stone) and coquilles (shell). And the style manifested in curvilineal and asymmetrical shapes, light colors and a fondness for gold and gilding. The shape and form of this base, in fact, recalls the fanciful limestone grottoes so popular during the period.
The image of the Sto. Niño or the Holy Child has been popular since the earliest days of the Spanish colonial period. This is evident in the writings of Manila’s first Archbishop, Domingo de Salazar, writing of Filipino craftsmen who
“… are so skillful and clever that, as soon as they see any object made by a Spanish workman, they reproduce it with exactness.... they have produced marvelous work with both the brush and the chisel, and I think that nothing more perfect could be produced than some of their [ ] statues of the Child Jesus which I have seen.” 1
___________________________________
1 Text taken from the Gutenberg Project. The Gutenberg text says “Marble images of the Christ child” but I heavily suspect that Salazar probably was referring to ivory images.
List of Works Consulted:
Blair, E. H. and J. A. Robertson. The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898. www.gutenberg.org/files/13701/13701-h/13701-h.htm. October 11, 2004. Accessed January 15, 2016. www.gutenberg.org/files/13701/13701-h/13701-h.htm.
Finishing Techniques in Metalwork. 2016. Accessed January 14, 2016. www.philamuseum.org/booklets/7_42_77_1.html.
Jose, R. T. 1990. Images of Faith: Religious ivory carvings from the Philippines. Pasadena: Pacific Asia Museum.
Gatbonton, E. B. 1979. A Heritage of saints: Colonial santos in the Philippines. Hong Kong: Editorial Associates.
Gatbonton, E. B. 1983. Philippine religious carvings in ivory. Illus. by R. Figueroa. Manila: Intramurous Administration.
Navarro de Pintado, B. 1985. Marfiles cristianos del Oriente en Mexico [Christian oriental ivories in Mexico]. Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex.
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.
Today however, we have travelled a short distance south from Cavendish Mews, past Grosvenor Square and its Georgian terraces, beyond the Grosvenor Street establishment where Lettice’s oldest childhood chum, Gerald Bruton, sells designer frocks to wealthy British ladies, near to the Royal Academy of Arts to London’s most fashionable shopping strip in London where Lettice and her mother, Lady Sadie are shopping.
For nearly a year Lettice had been patiently awaiting the return of her then beau, Selwyn Spencely, son of the Duke of Walmsford, after being sent to Durban by his mother, Lady Zinnia in an effort to destroy their relationship which she wanted to end so that she could marry Selwyn off to his cousin, Pamela Fox-Chavers. Having been made aware by Lady Zinnia in October last year that during the course of the year, whilst Lettice had been biding her time, waiting for Selwyn’s eventual return, he had become engaged to the daughter of a Kenyan diamond mine owner whilst in Durban, Lettice had fled Lady Zinnia’s Park Lane mansion. She returned to Cavendish Mews and milled over her options over a week as she reeled from the news. Then, after that, she knew exactly what to do to resolve the issues raised by Lady Zinnia’s unwelcome news about her son. Taking extra care in her dress, she took herself off to the neighbouring upper-class London suburb of Belgravia and paid a call upon Sir John Nettleford-Hughes.
Old enough to be her 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, Lettice in a moment of both weakness and resolve, agreed to the proposal of marriage proffered to her by Sir John to her at a gallery exhibition opening they both attended. 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.
The news of Lettice’s engagement to Sir John was lukewarmly received, at most, by her family. The announcement was received somewhat awkwardly by the Viscount initially, until Lettice assured him that her choice to marry Sir John has nothing to do with undue influence or mistaken motivations. Even Lady Sadie, who Lettice thought would be thrilled by the announcement of her engagement to such a wealthy and eligible man as Sir John, received the news with a somewhat muted response and a tight smile, and she discreetly slipped away after drinking a toast to the newly engaged couple with a glass of fine champagne from the Glynes wine cellar.
Now, some seven months on, plans are starting to be laid for the wedding, albeit at a somewhat glacial pace. Earlier in the week, alerted to it by the sound of raised voices echoing down the corridor in Glynes, the grand Georgian family seat of the Chetwynds in Wiltshire, and the home of Lettice’s parents, the presiding Viscount and Countess of Wrexham and the heir, their eldest son Leslie and his wife Arabella, the Viscount had walked into the flower room and come across Lettice and her mother arguing bitterly, before Lettice slipped away, her face awash with tears. Several weeks ago, when Lettice and Sir John were taking tea with his younger sister, Clemance Pontefract, who as a widow, has recently returned to London and set up residence in Holland Park, Lettice suggested that Clemance might help her choose her trousseau*. Thinking that Lady Sadie’s ideas will doubtless be somewhat old fashioned and conservative when it comes to commissioning evening dresses and her wedding frock, Lettice wants to engage Clemance’s smart eye and eager willingness to please Lettice as her future sister-in-law to help her pick the trousseau she really wants. Knowing that the subject would be difficult to discuss with her mother, with whom she has a somewhat fraught relationship, Lettice decided to approach Lady Sadie face-to-face. Unsurprisingly, Lady Sadie did not take kindly to the suggestion, any more than she did the idea that Lord Bruton’s son, Gerald, making Lettice’s wedding frock. In the end, Lady Sadie wouldn’t countenance the idea of Gerald making Lettice’s gown, since she felt it would be embarrassing for her youngest daughter to appear in a frock made by the son of her family friend and neighbours, Lord and Lady Bruton, as well as have Gerald as a guest at the wedding. It was this definite final pronouncement that drove Lettice away in tears. Appealing to her father to help her, being his favourite child, Lettice disclosed a secret shared with her by Sir John about his sister, indicating why she has taken such a keen interest in being involved in Lettice’s wedding plans. Clemance had a daughter born the same year as Lettice, that she and her husband lost to diphtheria when the child was twelve. Upon hearing this revelation, the Viscount agreed to talk to Lady Sadie and try and sway her to allow Clemance to be involved in the acquiring of Lettice’s trousseau, a task that is usually the preserve of the bride and her mother, but made no promises. In the end, Lady Sadie agreed to Clemance’s potential involvement in the purchasing of Lettice’s trousseau, but only under the proviso of a formal introduction to her, and Lettice’s promise to visit each and every ‘approved’ Court dressmaker on Lady Sadie’s list without complaint or procrastination.
So it was that Lettice and Lady Sadie journeyed up from Wiltshire to London by railway, and are now part way through a list of appointments made by Lady Sadie with dressmakers, glove makers, milliners and ‘appropriate’ Court dressmakers.
“So,” Lady Sadie sighs, withdrawing her small sterling silver edged green dyed crocodile skin notebook from her reticule**. The old fashioned Art Nouveau curlicues of the silver repoussé work*** on the notebook’s cover catches the sunlight streaming through the taxi window as she pulls out a small silver pencil from within a concealed compartment in the spine before opening the book. “We’ve decided that Madame Yvonne**** is a no, then.” With a satisfied smile, she draws a definitive line through the name and address of the couturier known for her fashionable frocks – her crossed out name joining those of Mrs. Pickett*****, Frederick Bosworth****** and several other notable London court dressmakers.
“You’ve decided.” Lettice replies peevishly as she sits in a sullen way, her back pressed into the polished dark blue leather seat of the taxi, her arms folded defensively akimbo.
“Now, now, Lettice my dear,” Lady Sadie chides her daughter. “I thought we’d agreed that we would visit these court dressmakers together with a unified front.”
“How can we have a ‘unified front’,” Lettice rolls her eyes to the white leather lined interior roof of the taxi as she parrots her mother’s words. “When our tastes are so different, Mamma?”
Lettice knows that she has agreed with her father to try and stay on her mother’s good side by following her to the premises of every London court dressmaker and couturier in the capital’s West End the older woman has carefully curated in her notebook and deemed as ‘appropriate’ for Lettice’s trousseau without protest or procrastination. However, as the day has worn on, with any glimmer of hope of a fashionable wedding frock quickly growing more and more remote as only the names of staid designers and old fashioned London stalwarts like Redfern*******, Maison Lewis******** and Cooper and Machinka********* remaining without a line drawn through them, Lettice is finding her patience and resolve to keep her promise to her father growing thin.
“Come now Lettice,” Lady Sadie tuts as she slips the pencil back into its compartment, and returns her notebook to the pink crochet and beaded bag on her lap. “You must admit that for all her pretty fabrics and colours, Madame Yvonne’s modes********** are a little… well…”
“Well what, Mamma?”
“Well, a little racy.” Lady Sadie shudders as she utters the last word. “All that stockinged calves showing beneath those layered hems.”
“But that’s the current trend, Mamma.” Lettice replies in an imploring tone. “Surely you don’t want me to get married in an ankle length gown like existed before the war! It’s too ridiculous! I’d be a laughing stock!”
“I didn’t suggest you should, Lettice my dear.” Lady Sadie replies coolly, trying not to revel in her ability to wield such power over her daughter regarding something so important to her youngest child as her wedding dress. “However,” She wags a white kid leather glove clad finger at Lettice. “I do think a modicum more of modesty is due, especially on your wedding day. God doesn’t want to see your knees as you walk up the aisle, and nor should any of your wedding guests.” She snuggles back into her corner of the taxi.
“They weren’t that shocking, Mamma.” Lettice counters.
“The lengths of Madame Vyonne’s hemlines were,” Lady Sadie releases another sigh. “Regrettably short, Lettice.”
“Well, I still think Gerald is the best placed to design something perfect for me for my wedding that you will find agreeable, Mamma.”
“No Lettice!” Lady Sadie holds up her hand to silence her daughter. “And,” she goes on warningly. “I won’t hear another word on the subject of Gerald Bruton making your wedding frock! I thought I had made it perfectly clear already that as the son of your father’s and my dear and longstanding friends, not to mention neighbours and members of the local country gentry, and therefore a guest at your wedding, we simply cannot countenance having gerald make your frock.”
“But Mamma!” Lettice implores.
“No Lettice!” Lady Sadie repeats, turning away from her daughter and looking out the taxi’s window at the passing shopfronts of New Bond Street*********** as the taxi battles the London traffic and inches up the road.
The mother and daughter fall into an awkward silence: not a truce, but rather a silent standoff, with neither obstinate woman wishing to give ground to the other.
“Besides, I thought you gave your father your word that you would agree to come to every London Court dressmaker I deemed suitable in return for me meeting your…” Lady Sadie cannot bring herself to call Sir John her daughter’s fiancée without a wave of nausea sweeping over her. “Sir John’s sister, this Mrs. Pontefract, and perhaps allowing her to have some minor involvement in the planning of your trousseau.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Lettice asks, unfolding her arms and spreading them widely in a questioning gesture across the taxi’s leather banquette towards her mother. “And I don’t remember Pappa suggesting it would only be a minor involvement. Remember that if Clemance’s daughter had lived, she would be my age by now, and perhaps she might have been helping her plan her own wedding, had not death robbed her of the chance.”
“I’m well aware of Mrs. Pontefract’s unfortunate situation, Lettice, which is why I acquiesced and agreed to have tea with her this afternoon.”
“Poor Clemance has been at such a loose end now she is back in London, and even the gesture of her giving me fashion magazines about wedding frocks has brought her so much pleasure, purpose and drive. John and I want her to be more than a little involved. Please be nice to her, Mamma.”
“Well of course I’ll be nice to her! Just remember though, Lettice my dear,” Lady Sadie adds in a cautionary tone. “You cannot expect to bring other people’s dreams to life at the expense of your own.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing now, Mamma?” Lettice spits bitterly. “Where do my wishes about my wedding frock I dream of fall on your list of ‘appropriate’ maisons************?”
“Don’t be churlish with me, Lettice.” Lady Sadie scolds. “It’s rude. Your father and I didn’t raise you to be discourteous to either of us. It’s most unbecoming and doesn’t suit you.”
The pair fall into silence again, each almost imperceptibly retracting away from the other, pressing themselves more compactly into their corner of the taxi.
“You won’t mention to Clemance that you know about her lost daughter, will you Mamma?” Lettice finally asks, breaking their awkward quietude. “I mean, John only told me in the strictest of confidence when I asked him who the little girl was in the painting with her that hangs in her entrance hall.”
“Do you really think me so socially inept, Lettice?” Lady Sadie snaps. “Of course I won’t! I’d never bring up something so distasteful: a subject so hurtful to the poor woman, over afternoon tea.”
“No… no…” Lettice stammers with embarrassment. “No, of course not, Mamma.”
The pair fall into an awkward silence again, observed by the taxi driver from his cab through his rear vision mirror. The two women face away from one another. Lettice faces to her left out the window, arrayed in a neat pink dyed straw boater set at a jaunty angle atop her waved blonde hair and a light orchid pink coloured chiffon frock with a large silk flocked flower affixed to her hem, her arms folded defensively akimbo again, her parasol standing guard between she and her mother. Lady Sadie in her more conservative afternoon frock of floral sprigged creamy georgette with its layered and pleated hem that pools around her brisling figure peers to her left out her passenger window from beneath a white straw hat overed in pink satin roses and white feather plumes as she clutches her parasol in one lace glove clad hand and her reticule in the other. They both watch the passing facades of the New Bond Street shops, three, four and five storeys high adorned with pillars and ornate tracery around their windows, each trying to out impress the other with their grandeur. Some have blinds and awnings in bright colours drawn over the windows against the summer sun to keep the rooms inside shaded and cool. Signs advertise milliners and jewellers, furriers and shoemakers, glove makers and perfumiers, mantle makers and dressmakers. Fenwick’s************* awnings advertise a ‘great sale’ of its mantles, silk goods, dresses, fabrics and trimmings. The Fashion Shoe Shop with its striking newly renovated street front façade featuring its highly fashionable Art Deco sunbursts in stained glass display a dizzying array of gentlemen’s and ladies’ shoes for every occasion. Gold chains, pocket watches and sparking rings and brooches bask in the sunshine filtering through the plate glass windows of Finnigan’s**************. Along the pavements on both sides of the street London businessmen in morning coats and top hats or bowlers stride with purpose, whilst elegant ladies smartly turned out in colourful frocks and hats, some escorted by gentlemen in cream coloured summer suits and straw boaters, parade and perambulate at a more leisurely pace as they stop to admire the latest fashions and luxury goods on display through the large windows of each shop. Even through the closed windows of the taxi, Lettice and Lady Sadie can hear the vociferous sound of muffled chatter over the purring of the taxi’s engine and those of the other motorcars in front and behind them as they continue to edge along the shopping strip.
“Here we are, mum” the taxi driver says with a quiet sigh of relief as he pulls up to the curb before a beautiful cream painted three storey classically Georgian style building with a black painted front door secreted beneath a pillared and arched portico, “Number 47 New Bond Street. That’ll be five and six, mum.” he continues through the glass divider between the driver’s compartment and the passenger carriage.
“Frightful!” Lady Sadie exclaims scornfully as she delves into her reticule for her coin purse. “Five and six!”
“Traffic down Bond Street is always heavy, mum.” the taxi driver offers up, unapologetic in his explanation as he leans back in his seat and holds out his hand through the small open hatch in the window.
“I dare say it would have been much cheaper if you hadn’t taken us on such a circuitous route.” Lady Sadie quips.
“Just pay the man, Mamma.” Lettice replies irritably. “Or I will. It won’t get any cheaper, even with your complaint.”
Accepting the money foisted into his hand by the older woman, the taxi driver tips his flat cap in deference to the well dressed ladies in the back seat of his taxi as Lettice opens the door and steps out onto the shopper populated pavement and basks in the sunshine afforded her on the glorious summer’s day, lifting her face to absorb the sun’s warmth.
“Don’t idle on the street like that, blocking people’s way,” Lady Sadie chides her daughter, breaking Lettice’s moment of bliss. “You’ll ruin your complexion***************. Come along!”
A short while later, under the sleek and unhurried guidance of a vendeuse**************** with a fashionable head of marcelled waves*****************, dressed in a chic black velvet frock with an understated string of imitation pearls lying in contrast against her collar, Lettice and Lady Sadie are ushered into Madame Handley-Seymour’s salon. A spacious room scented lightly with the fragrance of roses, asters and bluebells from ornate fresh flower displays, the salon was elegantly appointed in pale colours so as not to detract from Madame’s modes. Muted watercolours of pre-war fashions in white frames hung upon the peach coloured flocked papered walls. The vendeuse seats Madame’s honoured guests in two comfortably upholstered cream and white Regency striped chairs before Madame presents herself.
“Welcome Your Ladyship, Miss Chetwynd,” Madame Handley-Seymour says in silvery, well elocuted tones, that don’t betray her origins in Blackpool, as she sweeps into the room dressed in an afternoon frock of blue and pink patterned georgette with an embroidered lace collar, nodding her head in deference to both ladies. Clutching the real pearls cascading down her own front, she continues, “I wish you every happiness on your engagement to Sir John, Miss Chetwynd******************.”
Lettice nods her head in acknowledgement, whilst Lady Sadie’s mouth puckers almost imperceptibly in distaste at the mention of her daughter’s forthcoming nuptials******************* to the odious Sir John.
Either unaware of Lady Sadie’s reaction, or perhaps more out of feigned ignorance, Madame Handley-Seymour continues, “I’m very honoured to have you consider my Maison for your wedding gown. Nanette,” She turns her attention to the vendeuse. “Tea for our guests.”
“Yes Madame.” the vendeuse replies as she obsequiously bows her head and withdraws to fetch refreshments for Lettice and Lady Sadie.
“Now of course, having been guests at Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York’s******************** wedding, you are aware that my style is suitably popular, following some of the latest modes, such as drop-waists*********************, which I can already see will appeal to you, Miss Chetwynd.” Madame Handley-Seymour remarks, nodding at Lettice’s own drop-waisted frock. “But,” She turns her attention to Lady Sadie. “Are romantic and soft, Your Ladyship. Her Royal Highness’ gown was inspired by the fashions of medieval Italy.” Lady Sadie nods in approval. “I am unsure as to whether you wish to use a piece of family heirloom lace for your veil, Miss Chetwynd, but if you do, may I assure you that just like Her Royal Highness’s wedding gown, we can dye yours to match.”
“I don’t think we’ve really considered that yet, have we Mamma?” Lettice ventures.
“No,” Lady Sadie replies with a rounded mouth in a rather noncommittal way.
“Well, no matter Your Ladyship, Miss Chetwynd. We can always discuss that at a later stage.” Madame Handley-Seymour continues with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I would recommend ivory chiffon moiré, Miss Chetwynd, as I think it would suit your lovely peaches and cream complexion.”
Lady Sadie turns her head and eyes her daughter knowingly with a raised eyebrow, silently referencing her rebuke of Lettice sunning her face on the street outside the couturier.
“I used two trains on Her Royal Highness’s dress, one that was hip-length and another that floated from the shoulders, which has set quite the trend, Miss Chetwynd.” Madame Handley-Seymour chortles. “And of course it was embroidered with pearls and silver thread. I have an excellent staff of over two hundred people, including a whole workroom of competent bead workers********************** whose work I am sure you will be satisfied with, Your Ladyship. However, you do not have to decide now. I have had my head fitter, Miss Ford*********************** set out some fabrics and trims that I thought we might consider a little later. But first,” Madame Handley-Seymour claps her hands twice dramatically as Nanette returns with a silver tray with tea making implements. “Please, relax and allow me to show you some of the latest modes from my collection.”
For the next twenty minutes, Lettice and Lady Sadie are treated to a private fashion show of Madame Handley-Seymour’s designs, paraded up and down the salon’s length by three models with elegantly coiffured hair, swan necks, slender, willowy figures and long arms who pose at various stages as they walk as Avis Ford stands behind her employer and her two guests and reads the names and descriptions of the gowns as they are paraded. Blouson dresses************************ in pale cotton voile, vibrant yellow crêpe and striking violet satin are paraded before Lettice and Lady Sadie under the watchful eye of Madame Handley-Seymour along with robes de style************************* of Nile green************************** and Lanvin blue*************************** silk embroidered with lace, silk ribbon flowers and panels of shimmering beadwork. Lady Sadie sighs with approval as a model walks past her in a long tubular gown of pale apricot satin which is accessorised with a white evening cape with a thick ermine collar. Lettice glares silently at her, horrified by the thought of having her calves encased in such a long gown, however elegantly its side drape is affixed with a bunch of silk ribbon flowers. She prefers perhaps the most striking and unusual gown in the collection shown to them, a frock actually designed by Avis Ford alone and not a collaboration with Madame Handley-Seymour: a cranberry crêpe evening gown embellished with gold, red and blue bugle beads**************************** with a gold lamé sash. Lady Sadie refuses to engage her daughter’s gaze as Lettice lets out an appreciative sigh as the bright gown is shown off before them by the model. Finally, the fashion show finishes with one of Madame Handley-Seymour’s classically beautiful models stepping out from behind the pale velvet curtain in a wedding frock*****************************. Wearing a long robe de style frock with a bouffant taffeta skirt over silver lace, the model’s dainty feet poke out from beneath the hem in pretty pointed white satin slippers as she walks the length of the salon. A long veil cascading down her back held in place on her head by a headpiece of flower bands wafts like a cloud in her wake.
With the fashion show over, Nannette ushers Lady Sadie and Lettice to a secluded alcove off the end of the salon where a round table is covered with a selection of bolts of fabrics and lace. Drawn up to it are two chairs matching those they had sat on for the fashion show.
“Please, do take a seat, Your Ladyship, Miss Chetwynd.” Nannette oozed soothingly, wafting her hand equally as elegantly as any of Madame Handley-Seymour’s three models towards the chairs. She then places Madame’s black leather order book discreetly and silver pen on the far side of the table to the mother and daughter as they sit down.
“So,” Madame Handley-Seymour remarks brightly. “I hope my little fashion parade was to your liking, Your Ladyship, Miss Chetwynd.” She nods again to both women individually with deference.
“Quite, Madame.” Lady Sadie remarks with her usual reticence.
“Miss Chetwynd?” Madame Handley-Seymour asks, tilting her head, giving Lettice a quizzical look.
“Oh yes,” Lettice replies distractedly, as if suddenly shaken from a deep stupor. “It was lovely, Madame.”
“Very good.” Madame Handley-Seymour affirms with a satisfied smile. “Now, in preparation for your visit today, Miss Ford and I have gone through our extensive range of fabrics and trims and selected a few choice pieces to show you, Your Ladyship, Miss Chetwynd.” She waves her hand over the table. “For your consideration.”
Lettice doesn’t reply immediately, but doesn’t have to when Lady Sadie takes up a page from the society pages of a magazine and compliments Madame Handley-Seymour on the photograph of a rather noble looking woman in a tiara wearing a gown not dissimilar to one that has been shown in the fashion parade. She stares out at the viewer with a bold and expressive gaze.
“Yes.” Madame Handley-Seymour smiles indulgently. “Violet Vanbrugh******************************, the West End theatre actress. I also dress her sister Irene*******************************.”
When Lady Sadie’s mouth puckers with distaste at the thought that the well-respected Court dressmaker and couturier she has deigned to visit with her daughter and consider as a potential candidate for Lettice’s wedding frock, also designs for two actresses, Madame Handley-Seymour realises her miscalculation in her assumption as to the interest her visitors may have in West End celebrities. However wealthy, respectable and well regarded the two Vanbrugh sisters are in theatrical circles, they are not the daughters of members of the aristocracy. Madame Handley-Seymour discreetly removes the offending page, which Lady Sadie dropped back on the polished surface of the table as soon as she realised she was looking at an actress rather than the daughter of a duchess, and slips it to Avis Ford to secret away.
Moving to safer ground Madame Handley-Seymour continues with an awkward clearing of her throat. “We considered your colourings, Miss Chetwynd, and we thought eau-de-nil satin for your going away outfit.” She pats a bolt of pale green satin gently with her left hand. “Of course, as you would know, I made rather fetching brown velvet outfit for Her Royal Highness. Perhaps something coffee coloured or light cocoa might be more to your liking?” She reaches out her right hand to draw attention to some pale cocoa coloured floral lace.
“I detest brown. I never wear it, Madame. Ever!” Lettice answers, emphasising the finality of her last word, and not disguising her mild irritation at Madame Handley-Seymour’s lack of research and presumption about what she would like. “Of course, Gerald would know that were we with him.” She turns and glares at her mother.
“Gerald?” Madame Handley-Seymour queries, withdrawing her hand quickly from the light cocoa coloured lace.
“Yes, Gerald Bruton of Grosvenor Square.” Lettice says brightly as she reaches out and grasps some pretty pure white lace trim and toys with it idly through her fingers. “Perhaps you’ve heard of him, Madame?”
“Err… yes, Miss Chetwynd,” Madame Handley-Seymour remarks awkwardly. “He’s… he’s quite a trend setter in London circles.”
“He’s also my best chum from childhood, and younger son to Lord and Lady Bruton who live on the estate neighbouring ours.” Lettice goes on, smiling angelically at Madame Handley-Seymour. “He actually designed this frock for me.” She drops the lace so that its end trails loosely off the end of the table before smoothing the hem of her skirt over her crossed stockinged knee.
“So, you are considering Mr. Bruton for your wedding frock as well, Miss Chetwynd?” Madame Handley-Seymour asks uncertainty. She turns her attention quickly to Lady Sadie, whose peevish look has only intensified. “I had presumed, Your Ladyship…”
“You shouldn’t presume anything, Madame Handley-Seymour.” Lady Sadie says with haughty superiority as she raises herself up more straightly in her seat until her back is ramrod stiff. “My daughter and I are considering a number of potential couturiers and Court dressmakers based in London for her trousseau,” She sighs a little resignedly as she continues, “Mr. Bruton’s establishment included.”
Lettice’s eyes light up as she hears her mother speak. Glancing quickly at her, Lady Sadie refuses to engage with her.
“I’m sure that you of all people know how fickle the fashion world can be, Madame.” Lady Sadie goes on with a sniff. “We are considering our options over the next few weeks, and are in no hurry to make up our minds.”
“Well, Your Ladyship,” Madame Handley-Seymour replies with an acquiescent nod. “I do hope you will view the Maison Handley-Seymour favourably.”
“As long as you don’t show us anything more that is brown, Madame.” Lady Sadie says, still refusing to engage her daughter’s stare, a slightly mirthful look gently curling up the corners of her mouth. “It is a colour that neither my daughter, nor I, am particularly enamoured of. Her dislike of the shade, she has inherited from me.”
“Certainly, Your Ladyship.” Madame Handley-Seymour replies.
“Well, a thousand thanks for agreeing to see us today, Madame Handley-Seymour.” Lady Sadie says, smiling at her hostess. “And for showing us a selection of your delightful frocks. It has been most informative, hasn’t it, Lettice my dear.”
“Indeed, it has, Madame.” Lettice replies. “I did enjoy seeing some of your lovely frocks today, and my mother and I shall certainly keep your Maison in mind.”
“Thank you Your Ladyship, Miss Chetwynd.” Madame Handley-Seymour says in a toadying fashion.
“Well, I think we have seen all we need to for today, Madame Handley-Seymour.” Lady Sadie announces, rising to her feet and grasping the rounded lacquered wooden knob of her cream lace parasol, finally able to look her daughter in the eye. “And we really should go, Lettice. Mrs. Pontefract will be expecting us for tea, and we don’t wish to keep her waiting, do we?”
“Indeed not, Mamma.” Lettice agrees, elegantly rising from her own seat and grasping the Bakelite******************************** handle of her own parasol.
As Lettice and Lady Sadie step out from underneath the portico of Madame Handley-Seymour’s Maison, they are momentarily blinded by the bright summery sunshine pouring in from above the buildings around them.
Lady Sadie steps across the grey concrete pavement and looks from the kerbside for a taxi with its red ‘for hire’ flag poking out of the passenger side. “Taxi! Taxi!” she calls as she spies one in a few vehicles up in the banked-up traffic turning onto Piccadilly from New Bond Street. Having secured the driver’s eye, she turns her attention to Lettice, who has stepped up next to her mother by the kerb. “Imagine the temerity of that woman, Lettice!” she exclaims. “You think she would have better sense than to show us something in brown, even if it is only a light cocoa shade!”
“Mamma!” Lettice exclaims, clutching her parasol just a little more tightly as she dares to hope. “Does that mean that you’ll consider Gerald to design my dress?”
“Lettice my dear,” Lady Sadie places a calming hand on her daughter’s bare arm. “I am not promising anything. We still have Redfern, and the half dozen other Court dressmakers I still have on my list to visit. We have appointments with them over the coming days.”
“But Mamma, you said we were considering Gerald’s fashion house.” Lettice begins.
“What I said was,” Lady Sadie replies, releasing her daughter’s arm and holding her hand up to her to silence her. “That we are considering a number of potential couturiers and Court dressmakers. Fashion is as fickle as a woman’s taste, or her purse strings. Aside from her missteps with the colour brown and those dreadful Vanbrugh actresses, Madame Handley-Seymour remains top of my list at this moment. Let us see what tomorrow holds.”
“And the next day.” Lettice says under her breath with a hopeful smile teasing up the corners of her mouth prettily.
The marone coloured Austin Twelve********************************* taxi Lady Sadie flagged pulls up to the kerbside, its engine purring as it idles. Reaching out, Lady Sadie grasps the shiny chrome handle of the passenger cab and opens the door before stepping in. Just as Lettice is about to follow her and steps onto the running board********************************** she is suddenly struck by the unpleasant feeling that she is being watched, or rather, scrutinised. The well elocuted vowels of two society matrons in their new summer frocks and hats passing next to Lettice fizzle away in her consciousness as does the sound of the idling taxi engine and the noisy London traffic coming from Picadilly. Looking over the top of the taxi’s roof, Lettice spies a woman perambulating up from Piccadilly on the opposite side of New Bond Street, using a furled parasol rather like a walking stick as she takes languid, unhurried steps. Dressed in a silk chiné gown of pastel pinks, lilacs and blues with a three-quarter length handkerchief point hemline***********************************, she has a large romantic style lilac coloured straw hat adorned with large imitation flowers on her head, not unlike one she has seen at Gerald’s milliner friend Harriet Milford’s house in Putney. Beneath the shade of its wide brim, Lettice recognises the woman’s cold, dark blue eyes which pierce Lettice like the sharpest of knives. Lady Zinnia’s thin lips curl up in a mirthless smile as she nods her head in acknowledgement of Lettice from across the width of the street as she momentarily pauses her journey. The vehement hatred in her eyes pin Lettice to the spot like one of the butterflies in her father’s entomology cabinet************************************.
“Lettice! Lettice what are you doing?” her mother asks distractedly. “Get in.”
Lettice breaks from the piercing gaze of Lady Zinnia and looks down into the face of Lady Sadie which has crumpled with concern.
“Are you alright, Lettice?” Lady Sadie asks.
“Yes… oh, yes.” Lettice replies distractedly, shaking her head shallowly as though trying to rid herself of an annoying insect flying about her. She glances up, but Lady Zinnia’s figure has vanished from the street like some ghostly apparition.
“Come along Lettice.” Lady Sadie insists with urgency, beckoning her daughter with swift gesticulations into the taxi. “We don’t want to keep Mrs. Pontefract waiting. The metre for the taxi is already running, and we haven’t even started for Holland Park yet! Goodness knows what the traffic will be like in this dreadful city. Get in!”
Lettice, released from Lady Zinnia’s spell, bends down and steps into the taxi’s cool and dark interior, closing the door behind her. As she settles into the black leather banquette of the taxi, it moves away from the kerbside and heads in the opposite direction to that Lady Zinnia had been seen going in, pulling up to the corner of New Bond Street and Picadilly, before turning right and heading towards Holland Park.
*A trousseau refers to the wardrobe and belongings of a bride, including her wedding dress or similar clothing such as day and evening dresses.
**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.
***A reticule also known as a ridicule or indispensable, was a type of small handbag or purse, typically having a drawstring and decorated with embroidery or beading, similar to a modern evening bag, used mainly from 1795 to before the Great War.
****Madame Yvonne was a well known London Court dressmakers, located at number 8 Motcomb Street, a street still known today for its luxury fashion shops, such as Christian Louboutin shoes, Stewart Parvin gowns, and the jeweller Carolina Bucci, and was the location of the original Pantechnicon department store. In 1925 when this story is set, it was home to dozens of Count dressmakers and well known couturiers, like Madame Yvonne. It is not known when the establishment was founded nor the identity of ‘Yvonne’ but it did thrive in the 1920s and into the 1930s.
*****Mrs. Pickett was a London Court dressmaker, who unusually, was set up in the middle of the men’s tailoring street of Savile Row.
******Frederick Bosworth, a ladies' tailor and Court dressmaker who worked from New Burlington Street. Prior to founding his own business in 1902, Frederick Bosworth Mims had been manager of the London branch of Redfern Ltd.
*******Redfern was a renowned fashion house that operated in both London and Paris during the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. Founded in 1855 on the Isle of Wight by John Redfern, the Redfern company began as a tailor specializing in women’s clothing, particularly yachting attire for upper-class women. It gained prominence for its sporty, elegant tailoring, especially during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Redfern opened branches in London on Bond Street, in Paris, and New York, becoming one of the earliest international haute couture houses. By the 1880s, Redfern was officially designated as Court Dressmaker to Queen Victoria and later to Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary. The brand's prominence faded by the 1930s. While the Paris house closed around 1932, the legacy of Redfern's contributions to modern women's fashion endured in tailoring traditions.
********Maison Lewis was a ladies’ fashion house, milliner and Court dressmaker located at 152 Regent Street, Mayfair.
*********Cooper and Machinka were a Court dressmakers located at 36 Dover Street, Mayfair
**********In the context of fashion, "mode" refers to a prevailing fashion or style, especially of dress or behaviour. It essentially means the current or fashionable way of doing something, often used interchangeably with terms like "fashion" or "style".
***********New Bond Street is a prominent shopping street in London's West End, known for its upscale fashion boutiques, art galleries, and jewellery stores. It's the northern section of Bond Street, and its status as a luxury shopping destination is well-established. Bond Street links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the Eighteenth Century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the longer northern section New Bond Street, a distinction not generally made in everyday usage. The street was built on fields surrounding Clarendon House on Piccadilly, which were developed by Sir Thomas Bond. It was built up in the 1720s, and by the end of the 18th century was a popular place for the upper-class residents of Mayfair to socialise. Prestigious or expensive shops were established along the street, but it declined as a centre of social activity in the 19th century, although it held its reputation as a fashionable place for retail, and is home to the auction houses Sotheby's and Bonhams (formerly Phillips) and the department store Fenwick and jeweller Tiffany's. It is one of the most expensive and sought after strips of real estate in the world.
************In the fashion world, "maison" is a French word meaning "house" or "brand," particularly referring to luxury fashion houses or firms. It's used to designate a company that designs, creates, and sells high-end fashion items, including clothing, accessories, and sometimes fragrances.
*************John James Fenwick, known as JJ, was born in Richmond, North Yorkshire, in 1846. Early in his career, he learned his trade as a shop assistant, where his passion for retail and customer service was instilled and nurtured. In 1882, his ambition came to fruition when he bought and renovated a doctor's house at 5 Northumberland Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. This would become his first store and the start of his legacy: JJ Fenwick, Mantle Maker and Furrier. Together with two assistants, he sold an unparalleled range of mantles, silk goods, dresses, fabrics and trimmings. JJ's keen eye for luxury and exceptional care of his clientele made the store especially popular, and soon he expanded his space by purchasing 37, 38 and 40 Northumberland Street. Today, the flagship Fenwick store still stands on this exact site. JJ's son Fred joined the business in 1890 and was sent to Paris to train in the art of retail. Here, he embraced the revolutionary concept of department store, perfectly exemplified in Le Bon Marché. When JJ and Fred introduced this set up to their Newcastle store, they started what would become a family-owned retail empire. In 1891 JJ opened his first Fenwick’s in London on New Bond Street, London’s most luxurious shopping district. The first fashion store on the street, Fenwick’s quickly becomes a must-visit for affluent, stylish women eager to discover the latest styles in elegant environs. Fenwick’s hosted its first ever Christmas Bazaar in 1902, welcoming customers to explore and browse in store at their leisure, with no obligation to buy – anticipating the forthcoming trend of more relaxed and recreational retail. Typically forward-thinking, Fenwick’s was the first establishment in Britain to advertise on London public transport in 1935. Through acquisition of other brands and expansion into other markets such as homewares, Fenwick’s marked 140 years of retailing in 2022 and is still in existence today.
**************The House of Finnigans was a British luxury luggage and trunk maker established in 1830, originally in Manchester and in New Bond Street in London in 1879. The House of Finnigans manufactured and produced a wide range of luxury products, including trunks, bags, fashion, jewellery, timepieces, and silverware. In 1968, Finnigans closed its New Bond Street store. The company remained a family-run business until it shut down its last store in 1988.
***************The 1920s were the first era when sun worshipping began. Ladies and gentlemen alike began to sunbathe and come to appreciate the darker tones of sunned skin, associating it with youthful vivacity, health and fitness in the pursuit of pleasurable outdoor activities. This was at odds with the pre-war ideal of ladies, who were supposed to have white skin, unblemished by the sun. Suntanned skin was associated with working women who had to toil out-of-doors, and it was undignified for an Edwardian lady of quality to have such coloured skin.
****************A vendeuse is a saleswoman, especially one in a fashionable dress shop.
*****************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.
******************In more socially conscious times it was traditional to wish the bride-to-be happiness, rather than saying congratulations as we do today. Saying congratulations to a bride in past times would have implied that she had won something – her groom. The groom on the other hand was to be congratulated for getting the lady to accept his marriage proposal.
*******************Nuptials is a 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.
********************Elizabeth Bowes Lyon went on to become Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions from 1936 to 1952 as the wife of King George VI. Whilst still Duke of York, Prince Albert initially proposed to Elizabeth in 1921, but she turned him down, being "afraid never, never again to be free to think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to". The couple finally married on the 26th of April 1923. Elizabeth then became styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York.
*********************A drop waist-dress is a style of dress where the waistline is significantly lower than a traditional dress, typically falling at or below the hips. This placement creates a looser, more relaxed fit around the torso and allows the skirt to flare out from the dropped waistline. This style of dress came into fashion in the more relaxed two decades between the two World Wars, rejecting the tightly corseted and formal fashions that pre-dated the Great War.
**********************A bead worker is an artist or craftsperson who creates decorative and functional items by attaching beads to various surfaces or stringing them together. This can involve techniques like weaving, sewing, embroidery, or stringing beads onto threads or wires. At the time this story is set in the mid 1920s, hand beaded panels were in popular demand for women’s frocks, and thousands of mostly young women toiled away in fashion houses in England and across Europe hand beading panels. Whilst the dresses their pieces graced cost a fortune, the average wage of a bead worker was very low, and depending upon where she worked, her career could be short-lived if the light in the workroom was poor and ruined her eyesight.
***********************Many of the gowns provided by Madame Handley-Seymour were co-designed and created by Avis Ford, who started out as an apprentice in the 1910s and eventually became chief designer and fitter. Born in Adelaide in South Australia, Avis returned to England with her family when she was seven years old. After finishing school, she was keen to follow her bent for dress designing and became an apprentice to Madame Handley-Seymour. Following the retirement of Madame Handley-Seymour just before the outbreak of the Second World War, and at the request of Queen Mary, Avis Ford opened her own couture establishment in the early 1940s on Albemarle Street, and continued to provide clothing to the Royal Family including Queen Mary, Mary the Princess Royal, tweeds for Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and even designed dresses for the (then) Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Margaret-Rose into the early 1950s. A quiet woman, Avis Ford’s salons were also quiet affairs that attracted a distinguished clientele.
************************A blouson dress is characterised by its loose, flowing silhouette, often with a gathered or cinched waistline, creating a blouson effect (a billowing or puffy appearance) over the bust and upper body. The waistline is typically undefined or slightly gathered, creating a comfortable, relaxed fit. This more relaxed style of dress became popular with the abandonment of tightly laced corsets after the Great War in the 1920s, which revolutionised women’s fashions, creating a look that is more characteristic of what we see today.
*************************The ‘robe de style’ was introduced by French couturier Jeanne Lanvin around 1915. It consisted of a basque bodice with a broad neckline and an oval bouffant skirt supported by built in wire hoops. Reminiscent of the Spanish infanta-style dresses of the Seventeenth Century and the panniered robe à la française of the Eighteenth Century they were made of fabric in a solid colour, and were ornamented with concentrated bursts of embroidery, ribbons or ornamental silk flowers.
**************************Nile green is defined as a “pale bluish-green colour” and was very popular in the 1920s, fashionably named so for the Tut-Mania that took the world by storm after Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
***************************French couturier Jeanne Lanvin particularly favoured a deep shade of robin’s egg blue so much in became known as Lanvin blue.
****************************Bugle beads are long, thin, tubular glass beads, often compared to the shape of a bugle instrument. They are commonly used in jewelry making, beading, and embroidery to add texture and visual interest to designs. They come in various lengths, colors, and finishes.
*****************************While it's difficult to pinpoint a single individual as the absolute first, the tradition of closing a couture fashion show with a bridal look became fashionable in the mid 1920s by couturiers like Jeanne Lanvin, and were copied by other fashion houses, finally becoming established as a standard in the late 1940s. This practice is now considered a tradition in the couture world, signifying the pinnacle of craftsmanship and luxury.
******************************Violet Augusta Mary Bourchier, née Barnes, known professionally as Violet Vanbrugh, was an English actress with a career that spanned more than fifty years. Vanbrugh was from a family with theatrical connections.
*******************************Dame Irene Boucicault, née Barnes, known professionally as Irene Vanbrugh was an English actress. The daughter of a clergyman, Vanbrugh followed her elder sister Violet into the theatrical profession and sustained a career for more than fifty years.
********************************Bakelite, was the first plastic made from synthetic components. Patented on December 7, 1909, the creation of a synthetic plastic was revolutionary for its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewellery, pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms. A plethora of items were manufactured using Bakelite in the 1920s and 1930s.
*********************************The Austin Twelve is a motor car introduced by Austin in 1921. It was the second of Herbert Austin's post-World War I models and was in many ways a scaled-down version of his Austin Twenty, introduced in 1919. The slower-than-expected sales of the Twenty brought about this divergence from his intended one-model policy. The Twelve was announced at the beginning of November 1921. The number twelve refers to its fiscal horse power (12.8) rather than its brake horsepower (bhp) which was 20 and later 27. Austin Twelves became a common sight in London as they were very suitable models for taxis.
**********************************Running boards, also known as footboards, are flat, narrow steps attached to the sides of vehicles to aid passengers in getting in and out.
***********************************Handkerchief dresses and skirts are designed with asymmetric hems, created from fabric panels that are cut diagonally along the bias grain of the fabric, creating different length panels that are sewn together to create a hem with several corners that hang down as points.
************************************A cabinet containing pinned or mounted butterfly specimens is often called an entomology cabinet, insect cabinet, or specimen cabinet. It can also be referred to as a butterfly case or display case when used for framed butterflies. If the focus is on scientific collection and study, it might be part of a type collection or Lepidoptera collection, especially if it holds type specimens.
The interior of this couturier with its elegantly appointed interior and selections of fabrics and lace is not all that it appears to be, for it is made up entirely of pieces from my 1:12 miniatures collection.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
The selection of fabrics and lace on the tabletop are all pieces of ribbon or lace from my vintage haberdashery collection. The narrow piece of lace is only five millimetres in diameter. The black japanned sewing box with its red white and gold lacquered top has a red lacquered interior, just like its life size equivalent. Made from metal, I acquired it from a specialist miniature supplier online through E-Bay. Madame Handley-Seymour’s sterling silver pen with a tiny seed pearl in its end comes from the Little Green Workshop in England who specialise in high end, high quality miniatures. Madame Handley-Seymour’s black leather order book and ledger beneath it come from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop in the United Kingdom. The copy of the page from ‘The Camera in Society’ was printed by me.
1:12 size miniature hats made to exacting standards of quality and realism such as those seen in this photograph are often far more expensive than real hats are. When you think that each would sit comfortably on the tip of your index finger, yet they could cost in excess of $150.00 or £100.00, they are an extravagance. American artists seem to have the monopoly on this skill and some of the hats that I have seen or acquired over the years are remarkable. The maker of Lady Sadie’s feather plumed and pink rose covered cloche and Lettice’s pink straw flower decorated hat are unknown, but they are part of a larger collection I bought from an American miniature collector Marilyn Bickel. The two parasols with their lacy furls and beautiful handles are also part of Marilyn Bickel’s former collection.
The two Regency stripe unholstered chairs, the small salon chair in the background against the wall and the tall stand on which the floral arrangement sits are all made by the high-end miniature furniture manufacturer, Bespaq.
The dried floral arrangement, which is made from a mixture of imitation flowers and real plants that have been dried comes from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop, as does the Art Nouveau decorated screen to the left of the photograph.
The two fashion plates on the wall come from Melody Jane’s Doll House Suppliers in the United Kingdom.
The flocked wallpaper is beautiful hand impressed paper given to me by a friend, which inspired the whole “Cavendish Mews – Lettice Chetwynd” series.
The Crown of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception was created in stages ca. 1660 (diadem) and ca. 1770 (arches). Created in Popayán, Colombia of gold, repoussé and chased with emeralds.
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)
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)
Louise Maraval repousse sans cesse ses limites. Dimanche 30 juillet 2023, la récente spécialiste du 400 m haies a été sacrée championne de France élite.
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Toreutics is the art of working metal, by hammering gold or silver (or other materials), engraving, Repoussé and chasing to form minute detailed reliefs or small engraved patterns. Toreutics can include metal-engraving - forward-pressure linear metal removal with a burin.
fr: Après midi ensoleillée sur Eus, Conflent, Pyrénées Orientales, France
HDR from 3 different exposures - various curves and saturation adjustments
view BIGGER On Black
More of the set Pittoresques Villages de France | More of the Set Pyrénées
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History: Eus smells of the aromas of orchards, ancient olive groves and guarrigue. Built in a terrace shape, sheltered from the wind, its name comes from the green oaks (yeuses) that border the village.
Conceived for defence, Eus successfully repelled the French in 1598 and the Spaniards in 1793. St Vincent’s church (18th century) stands where a Roman camp used to be. The roman-style chapel is dedicated to the saint patron of wine-makers. It opens onto a 13th marble porch. (source: www.cometofrance.com)
Histoire: Entre la vallée du Conflent et le mont Canigou coiffé de neiges éternelles, cette magnifique petite cité fut construite dans un but défensif sur un mamelon jadis dominé par le château des comtes de Cerdagne.
Conçu pour la défense, Eus a repoussé en 1598 les français et en 1793 l'armée espagnole qui dominait alors le Conflent. L'église St Vincent du XVIIIe siècle se dresse à l'emplacement du camp romain qui surveillait la voie allant de Terrenera à la Cerdagne, et de Notre Dame de la Volta, ancienne chapelle du château bâtie au XIIIe siècle. A l'entrée d'Eus, la chapelle romane est dédiée au patron des vignerons et à St Gaudérique. Elle s'ouvre sur un porche du XIIIe siècle en marbre rose de Villefranche de Conflent. (source: Villages de France)
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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.
© Eric Lafforgue
Maison de thé Fujimi à Zoshigaya / Zoushigaya fujimi chaya / Fujimi Teahouse at Zoshigaya.
from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji sanjûrokkei)
Série des 36 vues du Mont Fuji
Oeuvre d'Utagawa Hiroshige (Japon, 1797-1858)
1858
Période Edo, Japon
Hiroshige hitsu
estampe (nishiki-e),
papier et encre
Oeuvre de la collection du musée d'art oriental de Venise, présentée dans l'exposition Hiroshige. De Edo à Kyoto vues célèbres du Japon, au palais Grimani du 20 septembre 2014 au 15 janvier 2015
www.palazzogrimani.org/mostre-ed-eventi/hiroshige/
Cette exposition très bien scénographiée dans les salles du palazzo Grimani permet de voir de nombreuses oeuvres (estampes) de Hiroshige appartenant aux collections du musée d'art oriental de Venise. Ce musée, dont le fond japonais est très riche, se trouve hébergé depuis de nombreuses années dans des locaux trop exigus au 3ème étage du palais Ca' Pesaro, le musée d'art moderne de Venise. Sa réinstallation dans un palais plus vaste a été sans cesse repoussée, ce qui l'oblige à exposer ses collections dans d'autres musées.
Album sur le musée d'art oriental (photos dalbera)
Vue du lac et de la ville d'Otsu depuis la salle dédiée à Kannon du temple de Miidera - Otsu (étape 54)
Série des 53 étapes ou relais du Tokaido (Route de la mer de l'Est)
Oeuvre d'Utagawa Hiroshige (Japon, 1797-1858)
1855
Période Edo, Japon
Hiroshige hitsu
estampe (nishiki-e),
papier et encre
Oeuvre de la collection du musée d'art oriental de Venise, présentée dans l'exposition Hiroshige. De Edo à Kyoto vues célèbres du Japon, au palais Grimani du 20 septembre 2014 au 15 janvier 2015
www.palazzogrimani.org/mostre-ed-eventi/hiroshige/
Cette exposition très bien scénographiée dans les salles du palazzo Grimani permet de voir de nombreuses oeuvres (estampes) de Hiroshige appartenant aux collections du musée d'art oriental de Venise. Ce musée, dont le fond japonais est très riche, se trouve hébergé depuis de nombreuses années dans des locaux trop exigus au 3ème étage du palais Ca' Pesaro, le musée d'art moderne de Venise. Sa réinstallation dans un palais plus vaste a été sans cesse repoussée, ce qui l'oblige à exposer ses collections dans d'autres musées.
Album sur le musée d'art oriental (photos dalbera)
www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/sets/72157627615989247
Photo Annie Dalbéra
Voir une des séries des 53 relais ou étapes du Tokaido
4.5 x 6 x 5/8 inches. 22 gauge copper sheet. Lots of hammering with many tools, and, of course, several annealings.
A silver church frontal panel
Estimate: PHP 100,000 - 120,000
Mid 19th century
Pampanga
Repoussé silver set in a contemporary kamagong frame
31 x 69 cm (12 x 27 in)
Provenance:
Private collection, Manila
Formerly part of an elaborate church altar frontal covered and decorated with hand-hammered chased and repoussé silver, this whimsical panel features flourishing and bunched S-shaped acanthus leaves, centering an oval cartouche surrounded by scalloped fig leaves, and rosettes in all four corners. Framed in molded kamagong wood. The silver panel without the frame weighs approximately one kilogram.
Lot 158 of the Salcedo Auctions auction on 18 March 2023. Please see www.salcedoauctions.com for more information.