Haut Couture and Grand Trappings
http://www.chateauversailles.fr/fr/
Under the esteemed patronage of the House of Chanel, there is currently an exhibition taking place at the Château de Versailles from 31 March to 28 June 2009, entitled Le costume de cour en Europe 1650-1800 (Court attire in Europe 1650-1800). Paris was the place to order your haut couture even in centuries past, and particularly if you happened to be a prince.
Austria’s Sceptre, Orb and Imperial Crown.
The Sceptre in Close Detail.
For those interested in the sceptre and its court settings, here is the perfect opportunity to investigate. No longer the everyday item it once was in ancient times or as familiar, today, as during the period covered by this fascinating exhibition, these works of ceremonial art remain as awe-inspiring as ever they were intended to be. The sceptre was and still remains an unquestionable symbol of worldly authority, exquisite beauty and superb craftsmanship.
The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross (92.2cm set with the Cullinan diamond (530 carat) made in 1661: British Crown Jewells)
The Versailles exhibition is part of their cycle about life at the royal court. Assembled trappings of splendour and majesty include magnificent items of apparel gathered from many grand palaces: Palazzo Pitti (Italy), Palàcio d’Ajuda (Portugal), Castle of Rosenborg (Denmark) and the Hermitage of Saint-Petersburg (Russia) to name but a few. There are objects from the Royal Collection (London), the Imperial Collection, (Vienna) Cologne Cathedral, and many more.
The sceptre dates back in history for as long as there have been men. That of the King of Persia is mentioned in the biblical Book of Esther.
A Roman Sceptre
First century statue of Jupiter in the Hermitage Museum.
‘Jupiter et Thétis’ (1811), Jean (Auguste Dominique) Ingrès (1780 –1867)
Do give us your feedback on this and any other of our featured exhibitions. We look forward to receiving your comments.
Galileo’s Vision
Exhibition
- Galileo, immagini dell’universo dall’Antichità al telescopio
(Galileo, Images of The Universe from Antiquity to The Telescope)
Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
March 13 – August 30, 2009.
At this moment in Florence there is a fascinating exhibition dedicated to the history of astronomy and, naturally, to Galileo who moved from Pisa to live there at the age of 8. Galileo Galilei (1564- 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and mathematician. An important philosopher, he played a vital rôle in the Scientific Revolution.
The fact that science can be beautiful is clearly illustrated in this extensive exhibition, which is dedicated to the history of astronomy and to this great astronomer. Galileo observed and analysed the solar spots, confirmed the phases of Venus and discovered the four largest satellites of Jupiter, which were named the Galilean moons in his honour.
- The Galilean Moons
This, the International Year of Astronomy, affords an unique opportunity to unite 250 objects at Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi. There are ancient objects, atlases from the XVIIth century, telescopes and many works of art.
One of Galileo’s only two remaining telescopes is on display. Amongst this treasure trove, in this bewitching city, there will surely be an antique telescope cane. Recently, in the article ‘The Beauty Within’ we featured the microscope cane belonging to Geoffrey Bridges. The magic of canes is that from small to large is always a possibility – a ‘Beauty Within’.
Here are a few more modern and modest examples, but we welcome your feedback and Illustrations of personal favourites. Naturally, these are more suited to the opera stage, a stag on a hillside or the grouse in the heather than the Milky Way. The principle remains the same, however, it’s just the scale that is altered. We look forward to your views on these objects, both antique and modern.
- Contemporary USA: Telescope Cane with Hip Flask
- England 1820: A Regency Metamorphic Walking Stick
(Brass Extending Telescope)
- Ivory-Handled Telescope Cane with Antique Brass Telescope
Festival of The Imagination
From March 3rd to April 10th the thirteenth Festival de l’Imaginaire (Festival of The Imagination): a festival, devoted to the kaleidoscope of world cultures, is taking place in Paris.
There is a wonderful song, written by Jimmy Van Heusen (1913 -1990; real name Edward Chester Babcock), with lyrics by Johnny Burke (1908 -1964); the crème de la crème of the golden era of popular music in the United States. Its title is ‘Imagination’ – which one would certainly need for the above change of name, or presuming it was an improvement!
The lyrics of this haunting melody made so popular by Frank Sinatra, should be projected onto the walls of the Maison des cultures du monde, where this exhibition is taking place
Imagination is funny
It makes a cloudy day sunny
So true, the lines hold the vibration of a mantra. There is no limit to Imagination’s power or to its extent. Imagination is limitless and is the DNA of all Art. Comparing the art and music of different countries, to illustrate showing their cultures juxtaposed, inevitably contrasts their costumes and taste in apparel – if given enough exhibition space.
The cane is one of the most universal examples of an object that is employed by every culture in a myriad of designs, uses and materials. I make an editorial plea for a ‘Museum of The Cane’ to preserve rare antiques and illustrate the imagination of those who are brave enough to create an ‘object of meaning’ in this medium today.
The truly creative mind in any field is no more than
this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly
sensitive. To him… a touch is a blow, a sound is a
noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy,
a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death.
Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering
necessity to create, create, create — so that without the
creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or
something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from
him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some
strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive
unless he is creating.
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (1892-1973: also known as Sai Zhen Zhu, Pulitzer Prize winner and laureate of the Nobel Prize for Literature).
Without any ridicule or sense of irony Ms. Buck has been described as a ‘Chinese writer’. So, imagination is the key process for that magical metamorphosis from being American to being Chinese; from being enveloped in cloud to basking in the sun; from finite folly to hallucinating haziness; from a piece of wood to a work of art.
The House of Guerlain (founded 1828) was creating some of its masterpieces, in Paris, at the same time as Smith & Son (founded 1830) was doing exactly the same thing in London. How many canes have carried a flask of eau de cologne or perfume across the centuries? The aroma of pipe tobacco or the kick of a whiff of brandy, were never as subtle. Did the cane designed to carry the essence have more refinement or a different perspective from the craftsman’s point of view? This is just one of many reasons for which we need to assemble examples and compare them visually.
Canes are tactile objects. They appear well in photographs but are even more wonderful in reality. Who is content to look at illustrations of the crown jewels when visiting them in person blows one away with the wonder of scintillating gems? The photograph seizes the moment. On still film, sparking diamonds can only be rendered without the movement necessary to bestow their magic upon them. Similarly, carving is a simultaneous appreciation of 360 degrees; not separate front, back and side views. The impact, no matter how well done, is not the same as feasting one’s eyes upon the real thing.
The imagination of craftsmen, artisans and artists over the years, through time and around the globe, should be preserved in one place. Today’s designers and creators must be applauded for their continued imagination alongside those of the past.
Imagination is crazy
Your whole perspective gets hazy
In the meantime, we do point you in the direction of our Books and Literature page to track some of the best, richly illustrated tomes on the subject. Should you know of a museum about which we dream and are not informed, be sure to let us know and we will feature it in pride of place!
Cane Spotting
The dedicated follower of fashion will love the history of h(is|er) cane as much as (s)he does the fashions of today.
One of the oldest museums in Russia is the world famous Armoury Chamber located close to the Kremlin’s Borovitsky Gate, Natalya Sidorova is a research staff member of the Moscow Kremlin Museums and we quote from her interview on the museum’s site.
“It was Tsar Peter the Great who laid the foundation for the museum. 1718, the Tsar ordered to arrange the exhibition and place the items in glassed-in cabinets.
Today the Armoury has quite a number of objects reflecting great reforms of Tsar Peter that affected all spheres of life of the Russian society. Some of them also tell us more about his personal talents and interests. During his lifetime the reformer Tsar mastered 14 different crafts. He was a skilful carpenter, a turner …
Judging by the inscription on it, ‘From the hands of the Reformer and the deed of his own hands’, the walking-stick of apple-wood …was also made by Tsar Peter.”
Rather nearer home, in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, there is a new, fascinating exhibition.
10th December 2008- 29th March 2009
Red wool coat from the wardrobe of Peter II, 1727-1730. © The Moscow Kremlin Museums
This sumptuous exhibition distils the essence of the grandeur of Imperial Russia. The uniforms of Emperors and officials of the Russian Court are on display. The earliest pieces date from the 1720s with elaborately embroidered coats and many more rare items from the wardrobe of Tsar Peter ll spanning a period of almost two centuries.
The Russian Imperial regalia, housed in the Kremlin Armoury.
Coronation uniforms and elaborate regalia of several monarchs are exhibited. Naturally, it is impossible to mention the ceremonial, the official and the military without the accoutrements of the sword and the cane. In this exhibition the crossovers between military uniform and court dress are explored. To quote the V&A’s own information on the exhibition,
‘European fashion and traditional Russian dress… will present the power and majesty of masculine uniform at its finest… many of the masterpieces are not yet exhibited [in Russia] for they are just coming out of the depths. In Russia, the interest in the Tsars’ ceremonial clothes is rather recent and, as we can imagine, rather political… Forty of these costumes, recently restored, have left the Kremlin’s collections to travel to London. From the decorative extravagance of the 1720s, closely reflecting French fashion, to the more sober outfits of the XIXth century, when the aim was to defend the national tradition, these outfits demonstrate the skill of the Russian artisans. Vests, lavish embroideries, elaborate uniforms, ermine capes as well as stockings and underwear (including watches and snuff boxes hidden in pockets) give a complete idea of the wardrobe of the masters of the Kremlin, from Peter II up to Nicolas II, the last Romanoff.
We invite any of our readers who wish to comment on canes at the V&A or, indeed, any other museum to write into our blog and tell us about your experiences, your viewings and your favourites.
The ‘Magnificence of The Tsars’ is not the only part of the V&A in which you will be able to look for canes. There are many areas of the museum, including its glass section where you will find fine examples.
In its Executive Summary, The Victoria and Albert Museum explains its aims, purpose and itself as follows.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world’s greatest museum of art and design. It holds the national collections of textiles, fashion, furniture and woodwork … jewellery, metalwork (including silver), ceramics and glass…the performing arts, and world-class collections of Asian art.
As the national museum of art and design, the V&A takes a lead in attempts to ensure that public collections acquire key heritage objects that would otherwise be exported. The Museum will also continue to acquire historical objects, which add to the overall understanding of our existing collections or challenge established understandings of a particular period, style…
The Fashion collection… is the premier collection in the UK and consists of European (mainly French and English) fashionable clothes and accessories for both sexes.
This bastion of design spanning the treasures of antiquity to the most contemporary style of today is, indeed, the cane spotter’s paradise!
Paris on Parade
Cane specialist Laurence Janzen will be showing more than 250 rare items at Louvre des Antiquaires, which, programmed to run from 9th October to 15th November 2008, has now been extended until 30th December.
The three facets of the cane – support, flamboyance and self-defence are amply illustrated by exquisite objets rares in this outstanding collection of craftsmanship spanning three centuries from the 17th to today.
Ten collectors have contributed to this amazing variety of wearable art and historical richness. The French TV channel TF1 has interviewed three. Together with some superb examples of their canes, they can be seen in this tantalising overview of the exhibition.
http://videos.tf1.fr/video/news/culture/0,,4154207,00-les-cannes-s-exposent-.html
