Posts
All Comments
Today we’re celebrating World Book Day with a collection of cartoons that remains chillingly appropriate.
A copy of the vintage volume, Nature Notes III, personally signed by Peter Brookes, the award-winning political cartoonist for The Times, is available at ShopCurious.
Here is a small selection of Brookes’ curiously clever, nature-themed illustrations from the book:
A work of art, snapshot of history and collectable heirloom rolled into one, this publication certainly has style with brains.
Do you?
Happy St David’s Day! My grandmother, who sadly died years ago, was born in Wales, so I decided to explore my Welsh heritage. Welsh icons include leeks and a delightfully archaic national costume. But it’s not all coal, rugby, sheep and dragons in this curiously Celtic corner of our little island... There are also daffodils and lovespoons too - the latter being rather pertinent in view of Prince William’s impending nuptials - what with him being based at RAF Valley in Anglesey and next in line to inherit the heir apparent's title, Prince of Wales.
Possibly dating from the 14th century, and based on the ‘cawl’ or soup spoon, lovespoons were carved by young Welshmen to demonstrate their practicality and craftsmanship (much needed in rural Wales) to the father of their intended brides. The suitor carved one or more of a selection of traditional symbols to convey his special message:
Single Heart – My Heart is yours
Double Heart – Love is returned, we feel the same way
Celtic Knot – Everlasting
A Flower – Courtship
A Daffodil – Flower of Wales
The Dragon – Symbol of Wales / Protection
A House – My Home is Yours
A key / Keyhole – My Home is Yours
A Chain – Captured Love
Balls in a cage – Captured Love / Number of Children Desired
Heart Shaped Bowl – Fulfilled Love
Double Bowl – The Couple
Triple Bowl – The Couple and family
Vines – Growing Together
Horse Shoe – Good Luck
Bells – The Wedding
A Cross – Faith
A Ship – Safe Journey through Life
An Anchor – I Want to Settle Down
(List courtesy of Lovespoons Wales).
However, accepting this token of love was by no means an indication that a Welsh girl would marry her suitor - and some popular women amassed huge collections of lovespoons…
Anyway, I blame the Royal Wedding for my digression onto the subject of lovespoons, when what I really wanted to talk about is identity. These days it’s rare for us to identify ourselves with one particular place and culture. Most of us are a conglomeration of influences, ranging from birthplace and hometown to cities we’ve travelled to and people we’ve met. Our unique psychogeography and the individual stories that make up our lives have become more significant than our local origins.
Unlike lovespoons, today’s gifts and tokens of affection are more likely to reflect globally procured character – like the curiosity charm necklaces by Cartography40N74W at ShopCurious.
But might this curious trend lead to the wholesale globalization of culture, and what will the implications be for future generations? Or has the nostalgia-led backlash already begun? Your comments are most welcome, especially if you’re proudly Welsh.
Are you?
Looking for something to do this weekend? If you’re feeling very brave and don’t mind getting wet, why not take one of the new Barclays Boris bikes for a spin around London?
You could visit a museum – not the British Cycling Museum, as that’s in Cornwall, which would be a bit of a trek.
Better still, could park your bike at a docking station and pop in to one of the many arty events going on in London this weekend. I’d suggest Ceramic Art London at the Royal College of Art.
Here you’ll find handcrafted pottery, ceramic sculptures and all sorts of quirky pieces from a range of accomplished professional designers. I particularly like Kate McBride’s Olympics inspired tableware. Her collectable hand painted Velodrome bowl has cyclists racing around the circuit as spectators look on.
I’ve heard there’s an art to cycling in London: You probably have to be very careful – and wear something suitably protective. How about this Guiding Light curiosity charm necklace by Cartography40N74W at ShopCurious? It comes with a Jesus charm, helpful prayer (inside a miniature pair of binoculars) and a handy pen knife, just in case you get a puncture or need to carry out any emergency repairs.
Alternatively, you could stay at home, safe and out of the rain, and do something curiously creative - like upcycling some old clothes, or designing your own London bicycle – see my latest post at The Dabbler for further details and inspiration.
Will you?
With the carnival season upon us, and Mardi Gras coming up in a week or so, I thought I'd take a look at some of the curious carnival inspired creations appearing in fashion, art and design.
The FAS Contemporary Gallery will present the Trinidad Carnival inspired work of artists Che Lovelace and Zak Ove at the cutting edge Volta art show in New York from 3rd – 6th March.
Theatrical styling, influenced by street celebrations, circus clowns and magicians is very much in evidence in contemporary interior design. However, retro fairground memorabilia, puppets and old fashioned circus ephemera are also highly collectable as items of ‘modern’design art.
Surreal, carnivalesque costumes in bold, primary colours are also appearing on the catwalks, along with masks and other magical accessories.
Talking of which, we’ve a pristine pair of vintage hallmarked silver cufflinks at ShopCurious, featuring suits of cards…
I can't guarantee they'll bring you luck at the poker table, but they're great for adding a touch of magical fun to your attire.
Will you?
Contrary to popular belief, trudging around fashion trade fairs, hiking across town to showrooms and standing in queues at fashion shows is far from glamorous. It’s also pretty demanding on the feet – especially if, like me, you’re partial to shoes of the high-heeled variety.
Whilst I’ve a weakness for arty and unusual shoes, I’ve noticed that heels seem to be getting higher and higher. When I saw the unique shoe designs by Joanne Stoker at London Fashion Week, I thought she was trying to cash in on this trend with her new ‘Empire States’ collection.
Inspired by Art Deco architecture, the handcrafted Plexiglass heels of Joanne’s shoes are designed to replicate masterpieces from the New York skyline. (Thankfully, no one's tried to base a shoe design on London's Shard of Glass).
Anyway, Joanne informed me that, although her ‘skyscraper heels’ give the impression of being high, they’ve been made with comfort and wearability in mind - and the method of construction means they’re actually only medium-high...
The angular shapes and mosaic style decorations are curiously creative and original, but however easy they are to walk in, the tower block shoes look rather more clunky than, say, the elegantly aerodynamic, space age designs of Chau Har Lee.
When I first saw Chau Har Lee’s designs last year I forgot to mention that we’ve some similar perspex wedges at ShopCurious. Ours are from one of Tom Ford’s early collections for Gucci in the 1990s and feature an angular silver ‘G’ buckle.
I think it’s great when shoes double up as collectable works of design art.
Do you?
Designers at London Fashion Week no longer seem desperate to shock. Obscurely arty fashion statements are gradually being eclipsed by timelessly wearable clothing and accessories. However, if Lady Gaga is one of your clients, I suppose it's advisable to err on the side of eccentricity - like Charlie le Mindu, who’s responsible for the curious mannequin creation gracing the alternative, On/Off show space.
Meantime, at Somerset House yesterday, I shared a bird-watching hut with the British Fashion Council’s lovely Marits Roberts. We did a bit of twitching together, admiring Orla Kiely’s charming showcase, complete with trees, taxidermy and books on British birds. Marits - who by the way, has the most beautiful voice - kindly informed me that the Turtle Dove has recently been seen in the UK, for the first time in years.
I spotted quite few avian inspired accessories at the exhibition, along with the influence of other native animals, like the fox - as featured on the Mulberrry sponsored canvas bag - and the squirrel (this is beginning to sound like the name of a pub).
There were also plenty of friendly faces, like Desiree Mejer of Fake London, whose uniquely English designs are available at ShopCurious.
What I didn’t find were freaky fashions, or the media circus I’d expected... But you can read more about those sort of things in today's post on my weekly style column over at The Dabbler.
Will you?
