Tea at Trianon: A New Wedgwood Pattern

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, November 15, 2014

A New Wedgwood Pattern

From Architectural Digest:

British designer Kit Kemp—who, with husband Tim, owns the popular brand Firmdale Hotels—has partnered with British tabletop company Wedgwood on a new design. The Mythical Creatures collection, which debuted earlier this fall, is based on Kemp’s identically named embroidered fabric line for Chelsea Textiles. The bone-china pieces, from plates and platters to tea and coffee accessories, are adorned with whimsical characters and hand-painted gold detailing that recalls a blanket stitch. Kemp has always been one to embrace color, pattern, and texture, and this newest project is no exception. (Read more.)

Supertradmum said...: Love this pattern, and thanks for sharing. My son has made himself an expert on ancient, medieval and modern tea sets from Korea, China and Japan.

I shall have to ask his opinion...but I love the colors and shapes. Very Renaissance imo; November 15, 2014 at 9:50:00 AM EST