tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72551336518103299912024-03-14T12:12:29.112+10:00Possessions of a lady - an 18th century (and vintage) obsessionThat term always intrigued me when I saw it in auction listings. Who was the original owner? And if it's 18th century I'm hooked. 18th century, baroque, rococco, sacque dresses, powdered wigs, patches, gambling at the casinos, snuff boxes, the shoes, the manners, tricorn hats, just fascinate me.
More and more I also wander off into other periods right up to and including the 1960s. I'm kind of vintage obsessed really!
Please feel free to leave your comments, I'd love to hear from you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255133651810329991.post-65690190139735110862013-09-22T20:49:00.000+10:002013-09-24T19:08:11.249+10:00Making over a 60s broad-brimmed hat into a cloche Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA3nDM0TsZY/Uj7GkE7e5YI/AAAAAAAABXg/HCUkTOknKH4/s1600/DSCN0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PA3nDM0TsZY/Uj7GkE7e5YI/AAAAAAAABXg/HCUkTOknKH4/s400/DSCN0199.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm afraid I haven't made as much progress with this cloche hat as I'd have liked but then eyesight comes first. And of course, life has a way of throwing in distractions by the handful.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyhow here is my progress to date. Photo 1 is the front view.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've reblocked the crown and reattached the brim. Then I cut it down to the shape I wanted and wired the edge. I'm now more than half way around the edge with the grosgrain. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a very time consuming part as you have to go in and out of each picot. PHEW!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ1zOmjjqFM/Uj7GxHyCy0I/AAAAAAAABXo/myJdxuIK008/s1600/DSCN0200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ1zOmjjqFM/Uj7GxHyCy0I/AAAAAAAABXo/myJdxuIK008/s400/DSCN0200.JPG" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the back view with the very narrow brim. I've always liked this aspect of 20s cloches as many ordinary hat brims hit the back of my neck which pushes them cockeyed if I tilt my head back. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RYVZ90F638c/Uj7HZbm0G1I/AAAAAAAABXw/MUNLVN_pJGI/s1600/DSCN0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RYVZ90F638c/Uj7HZbm0G1I/AAAAAAAABXw/MUNLVN_pJGI/s400/DSCN0201.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wish the brim had been a little broader to start with so I could have a more graduated curve to the side of the brim but I still really like the overall look.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Photo 3 is the side view where you can see the angle I've had to negotiate around with the grosgrain. </span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IUD7OaqI-vk/Uj7HgB1VB0I/AAAAAAAABX4/sZlRob-O0Ts/s1600/DSCN0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IUD7OaqI-vk/Uj7HgB1VB0I/AAAAAAAABX4/sZlRob-O0Ts/s400/DSCN0205.JPG" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And lastly a detail of how I've slightly gather up the grosgrain around that angle. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm still tossing up how I'll trim it but I am leaning towards softly draping fabric to cover the join rather than a straight hat band. Suggestions are welcome.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255133651810329991.post-8378841841321820982013-04-26T19:35:00.001+10:002013-04-26T19:38:27.443+10:00This is Cloche to my heart<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">W<span style="font-size: large;">hile there is a lot of </span>interesting information on the web about what types of hats suit which types of face, p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ersonally I just try them on to see if I think they suit me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If it's a vintage hat it needs to be big enough for you to try on and a good number of hats may be too small. But hats can be resized as well as retrimmed and generally refurbished. Which is why I am now refurbishing a late 20s/early 30s black horsehair cloche that has the most adorable old lace brim. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpyRSGy23mM/UXe1bs35CUI/AAAAAAAABM0/hNUBXJIcG-U/s1600/Hat+floppy+brim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpyRSGy23mM/UXe1bs35CUI/AAAAAAAABM0/hNUBXJIcG-U/s640/Hat+floppy+brim.jpg" width="477" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As it's been stored for years it has fold<span style="font-size: large;"> lines</span> and the crown is all pointy.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It also has a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">very floppy brim<span style="font-size: large;">, in fact, it's far floppier than it looks in this picture be<span style="font-size: large;">cause it<span style="font-size: large;">'s suppo<span style="font-size: large;">rted by a hatblock with a brim<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It was probably intended to be that way but since I don't look good in a floppy brim, I've decided to give it some body. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">First I </span>removed the 'sweatband' from inside and applied some gentle steam through a thick towel to the crown and left it for a few days and it's vastly improved. I might do it again just to e<span style="font-size: large;">nsure it's set.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oPt5DkOktfE/UXe1GZR6LtI/AAAAAAAABMw/-yyU7paQ1gY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oPt5DkOktfE/UXe1GZR6LtI/AAAAAAAABMw/-yyU7paQ1gY/s640/photo.JPG" width="477" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But for now I'm <span style="font-size: large;">working on <span style="font-size: large;">that very </span></span>floppy lace brim. (Sorry the <span style="font-size: large;">photos </span>aren't great but I took them with the phone<span style="font-size: large;">.)</span> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Initially I tried using clear line (like fishing line) but it doesn't mould so it really needed to be wire. Which meant more challenges to overcome. Good thing I like a challenge. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cotton covered millinery wire comes in either white or black. Both of which would show up like a sore thumb through the lace. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I watered down some brown dye and did some tests - after three very pale coats I have millinery wire that pretty much disappears under the lace! Yay!<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I may also have to wire around the side wings of the black horsehair to get the right slant on the brim! Fussyboots aren't I! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I figure a hat that is almost 100 years old deserves all the respect and care I can give it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now I have the wire pinned in place under the lace. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6crsHJk9_TM/UXfDyZAWVFI/AAAAAAAABOE/9CMDrr4RUpk/s1600/P4231140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6crsHJk9_TM/UXfDyZAWVFI/AAAAAAAABOE/9CMDrr4RUpk/s640/P4231140.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fingers crossed it will work. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I found an identical hat on a google search - it was listed with the term Mam'selle - whether this was a label in it or not I don't know. Mine didn't have a label.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll post some photos once it's finished. I'll also try to get some photos of the construction of the hat which is pretty fascinating in itself.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255133651810329991.post-56128913682553400822012-10-26T11:47:00.000+10:002012-10-26T11:50:37.673+10:00Fabulous thrift shop finds or Flighty mails of the parlours*<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nothing seemed to go right one morning recently so I thought oh well, just go with the flow. </span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dDtY16ZNHuk/UInrPF4yhfI/AAAAAAAAApE/c9jJ_N_SAy4/s1600/PA250576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dDtY16ZNHuk/UInrPF4yhfI/AAAAAAAAApE/c9jJ_N_SAy4/s640/PA250576.JPG" width="480" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I went to my favourite thrift shop and had a look at the picture frames because you never quite know what you might find.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And there was a lovely mounted but unframed print of Victorian fashions with a description in French. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While I am not particularly into the Victorian era, it was pretty and looked a worthy addition to my rogues gallery so I splurged the 20 cent asking price and brought it home.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It depicts modes of the day from 1834 from a fashion magazine called Le Follet Courriers des Salons* which was effectively the Vogue magazine of that era. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are a number of this magazine's fashion plates for sale online on eBay and antiquarian book sites.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've had time to examine it more closely now and I've realised it has been properly mounted and there is an inventory number on the mounting.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I suspect it may be an original hand coloured print from the magazine - the leaf itself is quite good paper and has been fixed to another backing. Of course it could be a recent print made to look old but why then the backing and an inventory number?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've done some research online and it is the correct dimensions for an original. Do you own any antique prints? Can you give me any pointers? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Either way it's rather lovely and I smile to think of some fashion conscious french woman (the only kind) almost 180 years ago devouring her latest magazine analysing the styles the way we have done ever since. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If you can provide a translation of the title I'd be grateful because online translators hilariously provided the following:</i></span><br />
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>the goblin mail fairs</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>the flighty mails of the parlors. (Hence the title of this post.)</i></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Neither of which seems at all helpful. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Individual translation of the words came up with "will o' the wisp or passing", "mail or post" and "salon or parlour", leading me my own dubious translation as 'Passing fashions of the salon by mail'. Perhaps Flighty mails of the Parlours isn't far off.</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255133651810329991.post-47578383420504124742012-01-13T21:47:00.003+10:002012-09-04T18:21:49.980+10:00Mother of pearl gaming counter addiction<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZaeYN0r6Ko/TxAE-sTyooI/AAAAAAAAASg/N01h5xzhkv0/s1600/PC090485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZaeYN0r6Ko/TxAE-sTyooI/AAAAAAAAASg/N01h5xzhkv0/s400/PC090485.JPG" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hmm I got a little carried away on eBay again. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These adorable little, exquisitely carved, authentic 18th century mother of pearl gaming counters get to me. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many collectors favour the armorial type featuring a coat of arms but I like the ones with monograms. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A coat of arms is a family identifier but a monogram is personal - an individual's possession.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVQbwNy1EvE/TxAPEAZd0cI/AAAAAAAAASw/EtVkYfMIuRU/s1600/saturday2+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVQbwNy1EvE/TxAPEAZd0cI/AAAAAAAAASw/EtVkYfMIuRU/s200/saturday2+029.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guOsA4qhte0/TxAGC2J3YHI/AAAAAAAAASo/PBWs3kHt2PA/s1600/PC090479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some like this one (at left) have both a coat of arms and a monogram.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Someone in the 18th century, a man or a woman, owned, carried and played with them. They were designed, planned for and waited on. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu8FVReYfAo/TxAS23PKRAI/AAAAAAAAAS4/K4fy9NnulP8/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu8FVReYfAo/TxAS23PKRAI/AAAAAAAAAS4/K4fy9NnulP8/s1600/images-3.jpeg" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You sent your order off with a ship's captain to China to one of the small villages where carving them was the main industry and waited for a year before your lacquer box of gaming chips arrived. I can imagine the delight they brought when they arrived because I know how excited I was when my little box of goodies arrived! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I hold them, I travel in time. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They are wonderfully smooth and divinely iridescent. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How marvellous that two hundred years later I can hold them in my hand and marvel over their beauty.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guOsA4qhte0/TxAGC2J3YHI/AAAAAAAAASo/PBWs3kHt2PA/s1600/PC090479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guOsA4qhte0/TxAGC2J3YHI/AAAAAAAAASo/PBWs3kHt2PA/s320/PC090479.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will never know the name of the craftsman who made them, the captain of the ship, or who they were made for. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will never know where they lived, or whether they gambled for fun or were addicted. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I know who might be addicted now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh and you might want to check out <a href="http://chezbill.com/">chezbill.com</a> who has masses of information about the history and designs of these counters. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See also</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://possessionsofalady.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00%2B10:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00%2B10:00&max-results=15">my earlier post</a> on my growing collection of counters. Oh that I could afford an entire set! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255133651810329991.post-848375171015815802011-03-13T01:45:00.005+10:002012-08-26T20:13:29.263+10:00In praise of Olive Matthews (1887-1979)<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NwPS13r2ki4/TXuQH14LuPI/AAAAAAAAAKo/RJiK_AlkVSQ/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f6b26b;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NwPS13r2ki4/TXuQH14LuPI/AAAAAAAAAKo/RJiK_AlkVSQ/s400/images-4.jpeg" width="297" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been reading "Understanding Fashion History" by Valerie Cumming which is not about the many and varied styles of clothing throughout history but how collections are formed and used and how that history is taught in our colleges and universities.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Collecting, preserving and storing historical items is an expensive and complex business and vies for budget allocations against not only historical artworks and furniture but also more modern collections. It must be a nightmare jugging what museums and galleries should keep and what they cannot reasonably maintain. And how do these collections begin anyway? Quite often it begins with a significant donation of objects.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So who was Olive Matthews and how does this relate to her?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well Olive was an only child brought up by a strict father in London (her mother died when she was two years old). </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her early interest in costume seems to have been sparked by some family items including a printed handkerchief c1774 featuring playwrights and actors that belonged to her ancestress Susanna Pearce and embroidered with Susanna's name. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fascinated by the 18th century (how could I not love her) Olive wanted to collect 18th century furniture but realising her father would not approve determined instead to collect clothing and items which could "easily be hidden in cupboards and boxes". </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over a 40 year period Olive would collect more than 4000 items mostly from the period c1740 to c1840, finding things at markets and occasionally through dealers. The collection includes clothing and textiles, accessories, needlework tools (yum), toys and some furniture. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not wanting to see her collection split up and realising that large museums like the V&A would not accept it in its entirety, Olive with the help of a friend, set up a trust which administers the collection which is displayed at the Chertsey Museum in Surrey, UK to this day.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have so much admiration for Olive. She could easily have been thwarted in her ambition to collect items from the 18th century but she wasn't. She could have just enjoyed those items throughout her life and left their ultimate disposal to someone after her death but she didn't. She safeguarded it for the future. For people like you and me. So we could enjoy it, study it, appreciate the construction and learn from it.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bless you Olive. One day I will get to Chertsey Museum and see your wonderful collection.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can check out the Chertsey Museum website at www.runnymede.gov.uk/portal/site/Chertseymuseum.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7255133651810329991.post-73982685594112076912010-11-28T21:58:00.001+10:002012-08-26T20:29:19.710+10:00Monogrammed mother of pearl gaming counters c1785<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R-scxzc0j9s/TPJEM0UNSOI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Q_exzCML_Js/s1600/Monogrammed%2Bmother%2Bof%2Bpearl%2Bgaming%2Bcounter%2Bcloseup%2B.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544569078239021282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R-scxzc0j9s/TPJEM0UNSOI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Q_exzCML_Js/s320/Monogrammed%2Bmother%2Bof%2Bpearl%2Bgaming%2Bcounter%2Bcloseup%2B.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These exquisite gaming counters make me want to run off and play roulette until the wee hours of the morning.<br />
Not only are they a delight to the eye, they are full of history.<br />
I feel privileged to own these little beauties and while I don't know who their original ower was, the history of gaming counters is quite fascinating.<br />
Carved Mother-of-Pearl gaming counters seem to date back around 250 years for the european market. They were hand-engraved in China in sets of three or more shapes denoting different denominations and used as gaming chips. The most common shapes are a shuttle (leaf) shape, round, oval and both longer and shorter oblongs (rectangles). I've also seen some used as thread winders which have Dogs of Fo cut into each end. And there are other less common shapes such as delightful cartouches.<br />
Counters were commissioned by the well-to-do including nobility and royalty as well as wealthy tradespeople.<br />
Many were produced during the Ch'ing Dynasty, the last dynasty of Imperial China.<br />
A variety of games were played with the counters including Quadrille, Ombre, Loo, Faro (Pharoah) and Whist.<br />
Usually engraved on one side with family crests if you had one or monograms, the other side might depict some aspect of Chinese life, be patterened all over with a 'diaper' pattern or even a numerical amount. Some were more intricately carved than others, and some with thicker shell.<br />
Popular designs also included chinese pagodas, people, flowers, doves, fish and other animals. Carp fish represent the common people, while animals indicate character traits. The peony, a spring flower, represents blossoming youth.<br />
Those in the photograph were made c1785 (the Charlotte border is dated to that time) and fall into the reign of philosopher/ruler Ch'ien Lung.<br />
See my older post below on popular pastimes.</span> </span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4