Castles & Heraldry
“The very purpose of a knight is to fight on behalf of a lady.” Thomas Malory Fall hastens her steps in a leafy swirl of gold and crimson, as the scents of cider and cinnamon, wood smoke and pumpkins signal it’s harvest time. With a skip and a smile we saunter forth to enjoy the pleasures proffered at Reaissance Faires across the country. In pseudo-Medieval villages and hamlets, we encounter blacksmiths and barkeeps, constables and country maids. Everyone from Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Drake and Shakespeare, to knaves, knights, and troubadours stroll the streets to delight and...
Read MoreA New Year is a Gamble
This sophisticated, celebratory hankie sends cheer and good wishes to the recipient in a multitude of languages. What a lovely gift to start off the New Year. “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Oprah Winfrey Sparkling and effervescent, champagne epitomizes jubilation and revelry. The list of “best years” ends at 1949, which helps us date this charming accessory. This hankie is a hoot. Although the dice spell “Good Luck” this gentleman’s roll may have sentenced him to buying a Mathusalem or (gasp) a Nabuchodonosor for the celebration. Yikes! Seeing these...
Read MoreRoad to Romance
So many flirtations, assignations, and secret trysts have commenced with the flutter of a handkerchief, it’s no surprise that hundreds of hankies carry images of amour. Naturally roses and romance go hand in hand, with many a suitor gifting everything from hand embroidered bouquets To dazzling displays of bonbons bursting from a bevy of blossoms. An elaborately draped blackamoor displays a stunning bouquet sent by a suitor with the card “see you tonight.” His boutonniere matches the bouquet, providing a subtle reminder throughout the evening of his adoration. Our...
Read MoreWine
“Great wine works wonders and is itself one.” Edward Steinberg, Making of a Great Wine ‘Tis is the season for sumptuous food and memorable meals, complemented by scintillating wine and sparkling champagne. In the past, we’ve explored exotic cocktails, but herewith we pay tribute to wine – the nectar of the gods. For millennia, man has labored to perfect and preserve the ambrosia of the glorious grape. The love affair is unending, and the history of the handkerchief records this passion. A Merry Christmas/Happy New Year greeting features celebratory champagne. A nascent tower of...
Read MorePan Pacific International Exposition
While working on Castles & Heraldry I visited the deYoung Museum to view “Jewel City: Art from San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915.”1 So with my mind still focused on lords and ladies, knights and valor, I was drawn to this image of a crusading knight in armor dragging his heraldic flag behind him in “The Vanquished”, by George Hitchcock (1898). Both horse and rider convey the feeling of exhaustion and surrender. It was one of 200 works of art on exhibition, painstakingly researched and recovered from more than 11,000 works originally at the Exhibition....
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