POST ORIGINALLY EXCLUSIVE FOR RANDOLPH STREET MARKET REPOSTED WITH PERMISSION OF SALLY SCHWARTZ

I have been planning this post for over a year when I first saw an amazing collection in a friend’s home. I was struck not only by the size of this extraordinary grouping of objects but also how they were displayed and the variety that is available. Just an aside…female figures are quite rare and, therefore, extremely collectible. His collection proves my point of when you see something you collect or want to add to your collection BUY IT then and there. This assemblage of all sizes of this craft was collected over many years and before they became rare and increased in value.

Rare female figure image found on Pinterest photo credit unknown.

At the time, I didn’t realize that I actually had a piece in my Asian Collections that my Mother bought a zillion years ago in a wonderful department at Marshall Field’s, Field’s Afar. The buyers for this unique collection of objects sought the unusual and the best to house in the Store’s always changing variety.

Here he is…he is housed in a black velvet lined shadow box with weathered wood frame, I think he would have been holding a spear or staff in his uplifted hand.

I am most certainly not an expert on this subject and while researching these fascinating works of art, I found a very detailed website that explores one collector’s passion for his collection.

The following information was taken, from an extensive piece from that renowned collector’s website, EVENSONG SHEKWAN MUDWARE. If the subject is of interest to you I highly recommend you read this collector’s entire story as well as more on the history of mud figures, and thoughts on collecting them. It is a wealth of research and intensive detail…brilliantly done!!

“The Shekwan ceramics are commonly known as mudware, mud figures or figurines, mud people, mud men, mudd men, or mudmen.

Over 1000 years ago, Chinese artisans during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), were creating landscape bonsai, miniature landscapes in a tray, a practice known as Pen’Jing. To capture the realism of a favorite countryside or mountain scenic view, the artists added rocks and planted small trees in a large ceramic tray to simulate the panorama on a smaller scale. These were intended to invoke a harmonious feeling to the viewers.

In an effort to capture the illusion, the Chinese artisans used figurines of people, animals, huts and temples, which gave an appearance of great age and size to the miniature forests. Figurines have had a place in bonsai as a visual contribution. Penjing, nearly a lost art form, is experiencing a revival in modern day China and is once again popular with Chinese bonsai enthusiasts.

The prosperous Manchurian Ch’ing Dynasty (1644-1912) began declining at the end of the 18th century. The successful export market for fine china was impaired by excessive competition for the wares. Pottery and figurines dominated the Chinese export trade well into the next century. Mud figures thrived, as they were different from ordinary figurines. They were made individually by hand and involved nearly all members of the village. Mudmen were brightly glazed figurines of men, women, wise men and old sages, seated or standing, holding flutes, scrolls, pots, fish and other objects of mystical importance or sometimes fishing. After completion of the rice harvest and the dry season set in, villagers turned to figurine production to stimulate the economy.

For smaller ones, the artist just picked a small piece of mud and in no time made a figurine out of it by using their two fingers. For the average-sized figure, the ‘mud’ or clay for the figures was pressed into a mold by hand. Each part was individually molded and assembled by various crafters at the appropriate time — thus, the varying degrees of quality in the pieces. Once the torso was removed from the mold, the extremities — head, hands and legs or feet — were added, along with the hair, hats, beards and other items. To add further detail, eyes, nose and ears would be pierced. Then the entire collection was fired in a kiln to cure the clay. Fingerprints can often still be seen, immortalized in the fired clay.

Each mudman was hand painted with a low temperature lead glass glaze in yellow, blue or green glaze with the occasional use of white or brown. The face, hands and feet were left unglazed to expose the natural color of the mud. The rocks, shoes or sandals were painted with a dark brown, almost black under-glaze, that was often used to paint hair and facial features as well. Occasionally the rocks were painted a red oxide or yellow ochre.

In the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, mud figures continued to be produced in South China, with the exception of the popular water carrier, which originated in Jiwah, near Hong Kong. The smallest figures were used as backdrops in fish tanks or bonsai, while the larger figures were used in planters. The exceptionally large muds were sometimes made into lamp bases.

The larger figures can be found at Stone Bay of Kwangtung. These figurines can cost thousands of dollars if they are made by the masters. Today, the antique mud man is a highly collectible item. Surviving examples were showcased in a large exhibition at the Hong Kong Fung Ping Shan Museum in 1979 and at the Chinese Culture Centre in San Francisco in 1994.”

Intrigued, good, let’s look at my friend, Earl’s, collection and how he has housed them in his home….first in a very large display case with multiple shelves…one could look at these for hours and not see everything, look at the depth of the figures… amazing…

Another view, shelving to the floor

Next on wall shelves…

And then on table tops…

A book…naturally…

I hope this peaked your interest not only in Mud Men but in specializing when collecting anything. The most important thing to keep in mind…always collect what you like and remember after two items it becomes a collection! Enjoy the hunt!

My photos unless otherwise noted.

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED AS ONE OF MY COLLECTIBLES POSTS EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE RANDOLPH STREET MARKET BLOG REPRINTED HERE WITH PERMISSION OF SALLY SCHWARTZ

This abundance of riches taken exclusively for this article by Melissa Parks. Her Megillicutti Booth at the Randolph Street Markets, is one of my most favorites. I know I shouldn’t have favorites (and yes, I do have many at RSM, it would be hard not to!!!!) but I find we have basically the same taste in collectibles and lifestyle. I asked Melissa to take some photos of her beaded flower collection. You will see them throughout this piece.

A Melissa Parks photo…here an arrangement in a vintage cloisonné bowl.

Very Victorian, a ribbon tied nosegay or Tussie Mussie.

Found on Pinterest photo credit unknown.

I discovered this charming handcrafted art, (which was extremely popular with the Victorians but then anything romantic was on their lists of crafting), on my first trip to New York, a lifetime ago, at the wonderful long gone specialty store, Bonwit Teller, in their exquisite gift collections. I brought this delightful forget-me-not arrangement home and have added a few other pieces throughout the years.

 

This piece from Bergdorf Goodman on another of my zillion New York trips. Both miniatures in Limoges containers and both photos, not my best efforts, taken with my iPhone.

Fitting into my Lily of the Valley Collection, in its clay pot…from my collection…

“Though the main technique used to make beaded flowers is often referred to as French, examples of the art have been found from Italy (where the small glass beads were made), to as far north as England. Stories about the production and use of beaded flowers during this time are generally romantic – peasants gathered up misshaped beads that suited for noblewomen’s dresses, strung them on horsehair or copper wire, and sculpted them into flowers which they later sold to the upper classes.”

“In 1865 Godey’s Ladies Book published beaded flower patterns, and directed women to use them as personal adornments for hair or clothing. Beaded flowers started gaining popularity in America in the early to mid-twentieth century with more patterns and even kits being produced.” Both quotes from Fireserpent.com

Fast forward to 1990 when beading flowers became very popular in the States using glass beads and lots of patience. There are many books available for creating beaded flowers for arrangements and bridal bouquets, an idea I really find charmingly romantic!!

This arrangement in its McCoy vase, also from my collection, (and a couple of close ups) is from the BesBen estate auction (the incredible Chicago Milliner), again many years ago.

I found these glorious examples on Pinterest photo credits unknown.

An example of a hand bouquet.

An unusual alternate to flowers that will become an heirloom.

Fabulous shading…

Amazing chrysanthemums in vintage vase…

Asian influence…

Love this, can’t you just see this in an magnificent container, nothing prettier than a mass of the same flower.

Isn’t this spectacular…again the shading is perfection and would be a great centerpiece for a Spring party or on display year round.

Of course, I WANT this for my collection!

Books…sure…

And more from the extraordinary creative vision of Melissa Clark

Arrangement from her miniature marble bird bath collection.

Melissa collects, among many other treasures, peacocks…here holding “blooms” to replicate its feathers.

Melissa, using one color for a dramatic contrast to a weathered pewter bucket on top of brass trays and glass top table…a creative styling genius at work.

Okay, what do you think, do you want to start a new craft and make your own, or are you like me and will continue the quest for authentic French beaded flowers to fill your vintage containers. In any case an art form that might work its way into your collecting thoughts.

Another stunner, talk about a statement piece…

All photos from Pinterest photo credits unknown.

Lucky me I have Netflix, BritBox, Acorn Tv, Amazon Prime and many, many TV channels and I have been using everyone of them during my confinement.  I thought you might like to hear about some of the shows I have found.  While I do love the Food Network, HGTV, DIY (soon to become the Magnolia Network), Ovation, all PBS channels and old classic films on TCM, I have found the following worthwhile….and as usual, in my reviews, I won’t tell you what not to watch, just what has interested me.

I must admit I was very late to the game in watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, beyond loving it.  Holding off on Shitt’s Creek….that will be a marathon viewing.

Loved Belgravia, but I’ll watch anything from Julian Fellowes…although I wasn’t happy with the last episode, it left me hanging, does that mean another season…we live in hope.  I liked it better than the book, which I find unusual it is usually the opposite for me.  The story, of course, very British and is set prior to our beloved Downton Abbey.

I did also watch the Downton Abbey film, I hadn’t seen it when it was showing in theaters.  Oh by the way, I watch everything, other than “regular” TV channels, on my iPad!  It works just fine for me.

I do love period pieces…here are two I highly recommend one a series the other a full length film.  Great to see David Suchet in a roll other than his superb portrayal of Hercule Poirot…as usual he is excellent playing a totally different character in this Trollope story, a villain,  (I have always found Trollope a difficult read, but that is just me).  I would watch Alan Richman (gone much too soon) in anything and seeing that he was in the cast I had to watch the film…I really enjoyed it.

Hollywood started very slowing for me but is well worth watching to get to the last two episodes.  Jim Parsons, Patti LuPone and Dylan McDermott are all extraordinary, but the entire cast is excellent.  The sets and costumes superb.

Two really good British TV shows I would recommend are The Big Flower Fight, truly a hoot, and The Repair Shop one to watch if you love the U.K. Antique Roadshow, fascinating watching true craftsmen at work.

Canada brings us two of my favorite light mysteries…Murdock Mysteries, who doesn’t love this show..and Frankie Drake Mysteries, I watch both on Ovation.

And then for my nenasnotes The Fashion Film Club, rewatching The Women, To Catch A Thief and Last Year at Marienbad. Also the new Bill Cunningham film and the André Leon Talley documentary.

 

Next up, the Diane Kennedy documentary, streaming from one of my favorite movie theaters The Vickers Theater in Three Oaks, Michigan…looks as luscious as her incredible recipes.  Gene Siskel Film Center is also offering a streaming service.

Well, my lovelies….does that give you some food for thought or rather some treats for your eyes and new knowledge to give life to your confinement.  Do share some of your favorites….

As I sit having my Sunday morning coffee, at 4 AM (my “New Normal” morning!), before I tackle my virtual newspapers, I do a daily dose of The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal (I saved Saturday’s WSJ, my favorite of the week, for this morning), I realized I hadn’t communicated with all of you in months, sorry….and I thought it was time for some reflections and what I have been doing since March 11th when I began my confinement.  I’m not going to whine nor am I  going to go into great detail on my feelings about the hateful virus nor the current protests, both have changed all our lives forever…here, briefly are my thoughts on that, I totally believe in peaceful protests, they are our right and my dream is that they will FINALLY bring about the process of MAJOR changes in how we have open dialogues and positive actions between all Races. We can and must make that happen.

What appears to be a peaceful view of the Chicago River and a glorious view of our City is anything but…it shows all the bridges raised not to allow our boats to sail out to the Lake but to deter people from getting from one side to the other…I find it very poignant.  To me it says we will be okay, different, most certainly, but working together we will start a new chapter for our City and our beloved Country!

The photo at the top is one I took several years ago on an idyllic afternoon in Harbor Country…and a place I’d like to transport myself to right now…where are my Ruby Slippers when I need them??  I posted it on my Instagram and Facebook accounts because I thought we needed something to look forward to. My isolation has been quite an adventure and, at the moment, no end in sight.  My outing is a daily, masked of course, 12 steps to and from the garbage chute….such excitement!  Thank heaven for Instacart and Whole Foods via Amazon Prime they are keeping my shelves and tummy filled!

A view of one side of my reorganized pantry shelf.  I really need to do something with all the cans of tomatoes, don’t you agree..open to recipe suggestions!

And  several dear friends have been supplying me with food and my constant evaporating bottles of wine!  The Woman’s Athletic Club has been doing food selections for curbside pickup and another darling friend picks up my order, and “insists” on including a couple bottles of my favorite vintage!  I am definitely depending on “the kindness of others!!”  And my doormen have been amazing in getting all my supplies to my door…I couldn’t get through this without them, thank you a Charles and Dennis. While we are in the subject of food and supplies…I need someone to explain the hoarding of toilet paper (still hard to get) and the sudden urge to bake bread and banana bread, mostly by people who have never baked bread nor even thought about it!  Finally got some flour and baking powder, I don’t need yeast because I have no interest in baking bread.

Of course, my Columbia College Chicago Fashion Studies turned into a virtual class, a major learning curve for the students and for me.  We got through it via my new best friend, Zoom!  And, my class did a decent job on their final project.  We shall see what the fall semester bring us.  Most certainly an opportunity for the students to reimagine how to present fashion shows as well as the entire fashion business which will be totally different from what we have known.

Speaking of virtual meetings and working at home…the second part I’m use to, I have worked at home since I retired, the virtual part I’m still learning how to make it work more efficiently not only for my teaching but also for my nenasnotes The Fashion Book and Film Clubs since we can’t, for the foreseeable future, meet in person.  March 10th was the first and last “in person” The Fashion Film Club, when we discussed Lagerfeld Confidential.  I skipped April and May we watched and discussed The Women, the classic film costumed by the uber talented and my favorite Hollywood designer, Adrian!  We had a great discussion.  I was amazed at how many in the group hadn’t seen the film.  Fascinating!

We ended our second year of nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club with a discussion with the author, Petra Slinkard and her new book The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion, a must have in your fashion library.  Great conversation.  I love that I can mute all participants if I so desire but they were very good at not talking until I asked for questions.  The Book Stall has been my Independent Bookseller of choice for the past two years of The Fashion Book Club and they continue to be.  Please support them when purchasing, they are THE best.

Two years ago, we started with LouLou and Yves and will begin our third year with Chanel’s Riviera, again a book I recommend to you.  An interesting look at the time just before WWII and how everything changed not only in France and the Riviera but worldwide (reminding me of today with everything changing!)

The next two films will be about the Riviera with To Catch A Thief, who doesn’t want to watch Gary Grant and Grace Kelly romp through the Riviera with Grace exquisitely dressed by Edith Head, and Last Year At MarIenbad costumed by Mlle Chanel.

I first saw the latter film in 1961 with my dear friend, Victor Skrebneski and with him again years later, it was a strange film both times…I wonderful how I’ll feel viewing it the third time this time without Victor whose recent death is still too raw for me to write an ode to our friendship on this blog.  I will do so shortly, I promise.
My treasured Skrebneski sketch.

Victor and Dennis at the last book signing he would do, this for a Fashion Group International of Chicago sold out breakfast last December. We are holding open our pages in Victor’s book while Victor is displaying the cover….another must have for your library.

Just had to pause for a second cup of coffee which I rarely do and a brownie from the batch I made yesterday….I use the recipe from the original Betty Crocker cookbook…it is my go to cookbook for the classics.  I think I have shared it in a blogpost.  And the sun is now out….

So what else have I been doing…obviously not blogging and I’m having difficulty concentrating on reading, lots in my TBR pile and they just keep piling up and major trouble sleeping, but I’m reading that both those issues, concentrating and sleeping are the ailments of our current stay at home situation.  I forgot to tell you why I can’t leave my condo (and, by the way, my environment isn’t hateful!) is my lifelong asthma which has lately reared its ugly head and, I hate to admit, my age.  I have to keep reminding myself I’m not 20 any more!!!!!

In addition, I’m streaming interesting programs on YouTube, Netflix, BritBox and Acorn…I think I’ll do a separate blog post on that subject.  I’m doing monthly fashion book reviews for The Fashion Map  I’m still doing two monthly blog posts for Randolph Street Market, RSM is on hiatus at the moment but I can guarantee that Sally Schwartz, our fearless leader, will bounce back bigger and better than ever….stay tuned for her continuing story.  I’ve also been doing other freelance writing, cooking for one (me!), doing FaceTime and Zoom, both helping to keep my sanity by seeing other humans!!!

i think that is enough for today, have to get ready to watch CBS Sunday Morning, so I’ll close by offering you a virtual platter of asparagus, my many years ago effort at food styling before we knew what food styling was, until we can share a repast together.  Stay well and safe, see you soon.  As always I send you hugs….

 

How ironic that I started this post last year, put it aside and basically didn’t think about it again until a couple of weeks ago. I then planned on posting for this Easter and again put it aside in my mind, only to come to a “knee jerk” reaction when I heard about an upcoming exhibition at the V&A in London. And then this morning on one of my favorite weekly TV programs, SUNDAY MORNING, (you can view the piece on YouTube) featured the Imperial eggs…obviously I couldn’t let this day go by without posting. Who knew a year ago that we would have the devastating pandemic still with us! I hope you enjoy the piece.

From the The London Times:

“Three of Carl Fabergé’s most exquisite eggs will be displayed in the UK for the first time at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The exhibition on the Russian goldsmith, who died in 1920, will open in London in November 2021 and run through early May 2022, and reflect on his connections to the capital, which was home to the only branch of his shops outside Russia. 

Fabergé was famous for intricately creating golden bejewelled egg-shaped ornaments for Russian Tsars to give to their wives and mothers. 

The collection includes the Moscow Kremlin Egg, from 1906, the Alexander Palace Egg, from 1908, and the Romanov Tercentenary Egg, from 1913.”

“They will be displayed alongside a Fabergé cigarette case featuring a snake laid in diamonds biting its tail, which was given to Edward VII by his mistress, Mrs George Keppel, plus a model of the King’s dog, Caesar, and his racehorse, Persimmon.”

“Kieran McCarthy and Hanne Faurby, curators of the exhibition, said in a statement: ‘The story of Carl Fabergé’s the legendary Russian Imperial goldsmith, is one of supreme luxury and unsurpassed craftmanship. 

‘Celebrating Fabergé extraordinary achievements, this exhibition focuses on the over-looked importance of his London branch, the only one outside of Russia. It attracted a global clientele of royalty, aristocrats, business titans and socialites’.”

Here is the beginning of last year’s post….

I know I have done a piece on Fabergé in the past but I was talking with my friend, Rana Lee, about topics she would like me to write about and her first suggestion (of a monthly list of posts) was Fabergé eggs.  It is definitely one of my favorite topics so I thought, why not delve into the glory of the Fabergé craft and the depth of love that inspired the Imperial gifts.  And what better time than Easter during a period of isolation.  To me these miniature pieces of exquisite beauty from the hands of uniquely talented craftsmanship can only help brighten our spirits.  Enjoy the journey.

Fabergé began making Imperial Easter eggs when Tsar Alexander III first commissioned them as an Easter present for his wife, Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, in 1885. It became a Romanov tradition for the next three decades.

A replica of the first egg which contained a ruby pendant egg inside the hen.

Of course my favorite would be the Lily of the Valley egg.  Wouldn’t this be perfection as part of my Lily of the Valley collection….I can dream, can’t I!???

From the Fabergé website:

Lilies of the Valley Egg, 1898

“This pink guilloché enamel Art Nouveau egg, presented by Emperor Nicholas II to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, is virtually smothered with pearl- and diamond-set lilies of the valley sprays, her favourite flower, and is designed in her most-liked style. It stands on four cabriolet feet entwined with diamond-set foliage. The surprise, three miniatures of their eldest daughters, Olga and Tatiana, surmounted by a diamond- and ruby-set Imperial Crown, appears when one of the pearls is twisted.”

1899 Bouquet of Lilies egg clock, one of the tallest is housed in the Kremlin Collection. Glorious in person.

Malcolm Forbes with his collection

I remember, many years ago, roaming around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (I always make a trip to the Met when I am in NYC no matter the duration of my stay in the city) and stumbled upon an exhibition of Faberge eggs…in my mind I think it was the Forbes Collection, but really can’t remember the source, just the beauty of the exquisite workmanship and detail. The Forbes Collection was put up for auction by Sotheby’s in 2004 and the entire collection was purchased by the Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg. It is now housed in the Fabergé Museum in St.Petersburg.

Marjorie Merriweather Post Collection at Hillwood Museum

A few of my favorites…

1914 Mosaic egg with portraits of the Tzar’s children inside.

I was fortunate to see more, when I visited Moscow in 2002, at the Kremlin.  To be able to examine them where they were created was an extra special delight!  There is truly nothing like these miniature works of art, craftsmanship, and opulence given to celebrate many occasions but most particularly Easter.  The Imperial Collection was beyond my wildest imagination… seeing them in their “home” was thrilling.

  Cloverleaf egg 1902

The Rose Trellis egg 1907

The last egg? 1917 the only sketch and the following information found on a fantastic site: https://fabergeresearch.com

“Eugène Fabergé told H. C. Bainbridge (1949) that as far as he could remember, the dowager empress’s 1917 Easter egg was to be of Karelian birch. This one-line reference was all that was known of this egg until Tatiana Fabergé uncovered new evidence in her family files. In particular, she found a letter from François Birbaum, Fabergé’s chief designer, to Eugène Fabergé in August 1922. It says in part: “Another egg referred to by Wigström must be the simple wooden one with slight mounting which was to have been presented in 1917, but which Kerensky (Editor’s note: Leader of the Provisional Government) did not allow to be delivered to the Tsar.” (Fabergé, Proler, & Skurlov, Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs, London, 1997)”

I had the extreme privilege of working with Tatiana Fabergé when she visited Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago in 2005 with her magnificent collection. I have two signed pieces from her collection, a malachite picture frame and a green enamel egg. She was gracious and signed them for me. She did speak English but was quite reserved and not very talkative. It was obviously a thrill for me to meet the great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé and learn about her extraordinary life.

Here are just a few details about her from the Fabergé website on the occasion of her death in 2020

“It is with great sadness that we announce that Tatiana Fabergé, a founder member of our Fabergé Heritage Council, passed away on 13^th February 2020 at her French residence near the border with Switzerland. The only daughter of Theodore Carl Fabergé, and Tatiana née Cheremeteff she was born in Geneva in 1930. Her father was the third son of Peter Carl Fabergé and her mother a Princess from Georgia. Had it not been for the Russian Revolution it is unlikely that her parents would have ever met – yet alone married. Tatiana was always known as the great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé and her connection with Georgian royalty was not generally know.”

“With glasnost resulting in the Soviet Union opening its historical archives, the opportunity arose for discovering new aspects of Fabergé’s history. She collaborated with Valentin Skurlov, a Fabergé scholar based in St Petersburg, who in 1989 staged the first exhibition of Fabergé in the USSR. Skurlov found the manuscript memoirs of Franz Birbaum in the archives of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Birbaum was Peter Carl Fabergé’s Swiss head master craftsman from 1896 through to the demise of the firm when it was nationalised and its stock confiscated by the Soviets in 1919.”

“This resulted in their first joint publication, the privately published The History of the House of Fabergé, which were Birbaum’s memoirs in Russian with an English translation. It appeared in 1992 to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the foundation of Fabergé. Although produced economically, this was a very valuable publication for Fabergé scholars and enthusiasts. By contrast, the next volume was very lavish.”

“Christie’s published The Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs in 1997. Tatiana co-authored it with Lynette Proler and Valentin Skurlov and included the first ever catalogue raisonné of the Easter eggs Fabergé produced from 1885 for the Emperors Alexandra III and Nicholas II. This was the first book exclusively on Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs to have been published after the opening of the archives in Russia and consequently could draw on previously unseen material, including the original Fabergé invoices.”

“The book therefore broke new ground with the catalogue presenting the eggs in chronological order. This was based on the then known eggs and the descriptions in the archives. Several eggs, which had been regarded as ‘Imperial’ for many year lost this status as they had not been bought by the reigning Emperor. The Forbes Collection boasted a dozen Imperial Eggs prior to the publication of the book, but afterwards this was reduced to nine. Kip Forbes and Tatiana remained on good terms, despite the reclassification.”

I was invitation chair for a Brookfield Zoo gala years ago and the inspiration for the invitation was a Fabergé elephant…here the actual piece and the watercolor illustration for the invitation…

There are many, many books on Fabergé here another co-authored by Tatiana Fabergé.

One of many YouTube pieces…

A 2015 film you can rent on YouTube…

All photos with exception of the watercolor elephant found on Pinterest credits unknown.

I was deeply saddened to get an email yesterday letting me know one of my exceptional models, Olivia Fondrevay, had passed away.  This news came just weeks after I learned about another of my fabulous model’s death earlier this month, Eleanor Monte Sano Pappas, (please check the archives for the post I did on Eleanor on October 24, 2016)  Both were not only glamorous, kind, family focused but totally professional and dreams on the runways of the many shows they did with me and other Chicago retailers.

I was overwhelmed with the tribute Olivia’s daughter, Jennifer, shared with us.  I asked if I could reprint it, she agreed.  It is a very special ode to Olivia and, I think in the world we are living in, even more poignant.  I can not thank her enough for sharing her incredible thoughts on her special Mother.  

Here are Jennifer’s words….

“How do you grieve when you can’t gather? I never even thought I would have to ponder this question. How do you honor someone’s life when the traditional rituals for doing so have been halted? For distant family and friends, how do you let someone know that you love them and wish them peace when you can’t be by their bedside?

How do you make sure that they don’t slip away without proper acknowledgment?

You write about them – you shout about them. You don’t just honor their contributions to this planet, you declare them. You write long and hard and often about the impact that they had on your life. With formal funeral gatherings delayed indefinitely, we must take on the important responsibility of honoring those we lose during this period of time. We must ensure that the impact they had is not lost when all attention is focused elsewhere, and people are prohibited from gathering to collectively share their sorrow and condolences.

I am writing about my mother, Sharon Olivia Fondrevay Sefert, in the pages of LinkedIn because she had such an outsized impact on my career success. Some of that success I acknowledge readily and some I admit begrudgingly (come on, what daughter hasn’t had that argument with her mother saying she had no clue, only to appreciate later she was right all along?). I am sharing her passing on LinkedIn because her impact was widespread. So many of my girlfriends shared with me over the years what a powerful influence my mother had on their careers. I wish to impart the wisdom she shared that had such a huge contribution to so much career success.

To understand all of this you need to know one key piece: I have the unique distinction of having had a fashion-model mom.

Olivia with Jennifer
Lest you think my mom was one of those supermodels who didn’t roll out of bed for less than $20k, let me be clear: a fashion model in Chicago from the mid-1960s through the late ‘80s, treated modeling like a job. You didn’t decide what you would roll out of bed for, you just did it. She made her living doing the bread and butter of Chicago modeling: catalog shoots for places like Wickes Furniture; trunk shows and runway jobs at stores that have long since disappeared, such as Bonwit Teller, I. Magnin, Carson Pirie Scott, and Marshall Fields. 

Being a fashion model’s daughter brought with it both the glamour you would expect (I have some amazing Yves Saint Laurent hand-me-downs) as well as the odd experiences you might never believe. For instance, on more than one occasion my mother would be running late to a fashion show. She tended to book several jobs in a row for the income without truly appreciating the time it took to get from one gig to the next. My sister and I were inevitably pulled into her acting drama as we would get pulled over by cops for speeding and would have to act as though one of us was violently ill, appearing as if we needed to “throw up” on the side of the road to prove how sick we were. My sister Ashley and I agree she deserved an Oscar for her part.

My mom was already a bit of an exception as a divorced woman raising two kids while modeling. She divorced when I was 12 and determined she had a better chance of making a decent buck modeling then she did as a speech therapist working in Chicago Public Schools. Oh, and the other thing. She was absolutely beautiful.

I have experienced that wonder and awe when you walk into a room and it seems like all conversation stops as people stare. In this case, at my mother. It didn’t matter where we were, she just had that power. I went to an all girl’s Catholic boarding school in Southern Indiana in the mid-’80s (how and why that happened is a completely different article). My mom came down once for Career Day (even the nuns realized we were not all going to become nuns), and the nuns and priest, as well as my fellow classmates, were all transfixed by my mother. Girls dressed in blue-gray uniform skirts and cardboard-like white shirts listened raptly as my mother extolled the virtues of inner beauty, your posture and walking with grace and most importantly — getting a good education.

Years later, one of my girlfriends from school explained that my mom represented what was possible as a female in life. What you could achieve if you put your mind to it. It was at that moment I realized that I’d had the unique privilege of being raised by someone who knew the strengths and benefits of being a female, along with the importance of “personal branding” before personal branding was even a thing. 

It’s hard to whittle down all of the advice she gave me over the years. There was a lot of it – some well-received and some (much) rejected. But as you get older, you realize that your mother, as much as she may annoy you, as much as you wish she would just let you live your life the way you want to, that she is trying to do just that: let you live a better, more fulfilled life than she did by passing on her wisdom. But as we all know, sometimes we need to learn lessons the hard way. 

Here are three key lessons she imparted that propelled my career, and as I’ve since learned, many others:

Look your best, at every moment 

Pay attention to what you wear. My roommates in graduate school found it hysterical that when I spoke to my parents after a job interview, they could always tell when I spoke to my dad and when I spoke to my mom. My father, who was an executive in international sales and then quality management, would grill me on the questions asked during the interview and how I answered them, letting me know if he thought I had a shot at getting the job. My mom, on the other hand, would always ask, “What did you wear?” And as I described my outfit, she would ask what accessories I wore and if I wore the so-and-so earrings or necklace or high heels or pantyhose (yes, we got down to that level of detail). And once she felt she had a complete picture of what I wore, she would always say, “I bet you looked great. And that you made the right impression.” In her view, I was worthy of every job I went out for and it was the hiring company that was either smart or complete idiots. God, how I miss that cheerleading now.

Respect yourself, and others will respect you.

If you remember only one thing, remember this advice as it is the most critical of all. In life, in business, in relationships, in parenting. In EVERY interaction you have in life – if you respect yourself, others will respect you. I saw that in every interaction I had throughout my career: whether as a junior account executive in advertising working with creatives, media planners and clients or even as the global head of integrated marketing at Nokia working with senior management: if I respected myself and my work product, there was always a like response. It was when I wavered, when I didn’t have respect for my work, when I suffered from imposter syndrome and doubted my value that others reacted in kind. My mother did NOT support or promote over-confidence or arrogance. What she believed in to her core was self-respect. If you didn’t respect yourself why would others? 

Beyond Executive Presence, be present.

I mentioned earlier my mom could stop conversations in restaurants. She claimed to never be aware of this, declaring her near-sightedness kept her from noticing that people dropped forks as she walked by. For her, it was about BEING present – in the moment. It was less about the impact you would have on people and more about how present you were for people. Mind you – she gave me a lot of schooling in having an executive presence. Practicing walking in high heels was an after-school activity and I learned how to “read a room” very early in life, thanks to her. I am certain that many ideas I presented during my career for which I had success were because I’d learned to calibrate how people were feeling or thinking and position my ideas to connect with their interests.

That, in and of itself, is invaluable business advice. But she didn’t stop there. For her, having executive presence was table stakes. As her daughter, I should know that was important. What she found more important was that you be present – as a person, a friend, as a work colleague – that when someone needed you, you would be there. It taught me to be courageous in work. To speak up and be present when people were counting on me. It is why I do the work I do now.

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Olivia with Ashley and Jennifer
Rather than dwell on what Parkinson’s took from my mother, I choose to focus on the gifts she gave to me that have made me successful. She was beautiful and wicked smart and reminded me that both were equally important to her success. She never just rested on her looks. I share her invaluable business guidance, because it’s advice that I got for free simply because I was her daughter.

How do you mourn someone during a pandemic? You honor them by sharing loudly the impact that they had. I choose to honor my mother in writing with the hope that the amazing advice I received throughout my life will help others in their career.”

 

All photos courtesy of Jennifer J. Fondrevay.

Several months ago I shared my dear friend, Barbara Varro’s  Celebrity Interviews.  She has been kind and sent me her travel stories…I have saved them, for whatever reason, and thought at this point in time we needed a breath of fresh air and some thoughts on where we can go when our confinement is over…..enjoy!!!!

Barbara Varro’s Travels…

Travel has been one of the great joys of my life: the adventures, the thrills, the discoveries, the amusements and amazements. All of these I have experienced though the years all over the world, and written about them in travel articles for the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune. Among the highlights…

EAST AFRICA
Seeing elephants in their natural habitats, families of them with their young, in Kenya and Tanzania was thrilling. Like a zoo, oh no. It is different. Sitting on a veranda of a lodge in the bush, sipping a gin and tonic at sunset, watching hundreds of wildebeests and zebra rushing by is like being in paradise. At various times we saw giraffes, leopards, hippos and rhinos.

Once our Land Rover stopped within several feet from a pride of lions. They just yawned at us. Another time we followed three cheetahs on a hunt for a gazelle. They caught it—ugh!

At one dinner I ate zebra pot roast—not bad . At one point I met a bush pilot named John, and at dinner at the famous Stanley Hotel in Nairobi he regaled me with tales about flying over the Serengeti plains. He was no Robert Redford, but it made me feel a bit like someone in Isak Dinesen’s “Out of Africa.”

EGYPT
Talk about amazing. Seeing the pyramids and sphinx in Giza were awe inspiring. Crawling up a rickety ladder to see a small upper room with an empty tomb was more scary than stunning. I was amazed to find that the three great pyramids are so close to the bustling city of Cairo. But the sphinx and pyramids are even more spectacular during a light show in the evening with a narrator reciting the history of these ancient monuments.

Sailing on the placid Nile to Luxor to view the magnificent temples, and then to the Valley of the Kings to see King Tut’s tomb was a thrill of a lifetime. It is nice to see Egyptian artifacts in a museum, but seeing them in person is special.

RUSSIA
I had always wanted to go to Russia because I am enamored of Russian literature. Tolstoy’s description of St. Petersburg came alive when I visited. The beauty of the baroque pastel homes along the Neva River were remarkable. The city was known as Leningrad when I was there and I stayed in the Leningrad Hotel, that played host to Elizabeth Taylor for a movie she was in that year. The art collection at the Hermitage is vast and gorgeous, especially the malachite room.

Moscow was an amazing sight with the colorful domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral and the imposing Kremlin. At the time, every day we saw hundreds of Muscovites lining up to view Lenin’s tomb in Red Square. One of our discoveries was the splendor of the elaborate marble walled subway stations, some with sparkling chandeliers. We found the people to be friendly and helpful as we tried to read the names of the stations in the Cyrillic alphabet.

POLAND
I have gone to Poland several times because I have relatives there who live in a rural area south of Krakow. The first time I was there in 1972, they were living in old wooden homes without running water. I heard stories from older relatives about how oppressed they had been during the Nazi and Russian occupations. The next time I visited they had indoor plumbing. And when I visited in 1993, they had new brick homes with two bathrooms. They are much better off since the fall of communism.

One year was memorable because I was the maid of honor at a cousin’s wedding. Our entourage rode to the wedding reception in a horse-drawn cart while we were serenaded by a band. During my last visit in 2015, there were major changes in Krakow and Warsaw, with new buildings and businesses flourishing in the booming economy. One memory: walking down the main street to Old Town, you can rest on benches with a button to press to hear glorious piano music by Chopin.

ISRAEL
I came here as fashion editor accompanied by a photographer and two models wearing Israeli styles that were from Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago. A highlight of the trip was staying in the town of Sodom (of Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah) overnight, then waking at dawn to have the models photographed at the salt-encrusted beach riming the Dead Sea. Later they posed below Masada, the place where Jewish zealots committed suicide rather than surrender to the Romans.

Then they were photographed at a Bedouin encampment, and various locales around the old city of Jerusalem. Once we stopped for lunch of fresh fish at a cafe on the Sea of Galilee. A few of us had fun riding a smelly camel. I had our driver make a side trip to Bethlehem so I could see the Church of the Nativity, and I bought a carved olive wood creche from a peddler outside.

ENGLAND
I have returned to this sceptered isle many times. I sometimes stay with friends who live in Islington. I enjoy the teas at Harrods and the Savoy. I love the Victoria and Albert and the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, where a friend often lectures. I also love taking the boat up the Thames to Kew Gardens. One pleasant discovery was seeing the huge “Saying Goodbye” bronze statue in the renovated St. Pancreas train station. The chunnel train to Paris leaves from this station.

On one trip to England I visited a friend in Wales who has an old stone home in the shadow of the Snowdon Mountains. It was awesome.
Another time I spent time in the South West in Lyme Regis, and I took side trips to Bath and Penzance. I was impressed by Mount St. Michael, where the walkway gets inundated at high tide. I almost did not make it back across in time to catch my bus.

ITALY
Florence is my favorite city in Italy because of its breathtaking multicolored marble churches and spectacular art, especially Michelangelo’s David. And watching fashion shows in the Pitti Palace was a special treat.

Rome’s fountains and squares are exceptional, as is the pasta. I have thrown many coins in the Trevi Fountain, which has brought me back to this golden city often. I think of it whenever I see the opera, “Tosca,” and see Castle Sant Angelo on the Tiber River. It is always a thrill to see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. I am in awe of the canals and St. Mark’s Square in Venice. But I was gobsmacked in Pompeii with is people frozen in place when Vesuvius erupted eons ago. And Milan has two marvels: Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper and La Scala Opera House.

FRANCE
Paris is a dream with its distinctive architecture, and at the Louvre I was awed by the Winged Victory at the top of the steps, more visually exciting than the Mona Lisa. I saw a lot of the city when covering fashion shows, flitting to the salons of Dior, Givenchy, Balmain, Chanel, etc. on the Right Bank. But I love the Left Bank in St. Michel and Saint German with its cafes such as the Deux Magots.

One of my favorite places in France is Villefranche sur Mer, on the Riviera near Nice, where I spent a month learning French at the Institut de Francais. I had a view of the gorgeous bay from my studio terrace. I would have learned more if I had studied more.

But I was distracted by the food and wine, ooh la la! One must is going to see Monet’s beauteous gardens at Giverny, it is a worthwhile trip just as is viewing the opulence at Versailles.

MUSINGS

Unexpected things sometimes happen when traveling. For instance, once I, along with my mother and aunt, were thrown off a train from Poland to Hungary. We had been told that we only needed a visa to Hungary and not to Czechoslovakia, which we were only passing through. But at the border of Czechoslovakia an official boarded and reprimanded us for not having a visa. He made us disembark
So there we were in the middle of the night, three women on a dark, deserted platform. We waited for more than an hour for a train back to Poland.

An amusing thing happened on a tour in Morocco. While some of us were touring the souk (marketplace), a Moroccan man approached a woman and her well-endowed daughter, and he asked if she would like to trade her well-endowed daughter for his dozen camels.
She indignantly said, “NO WAY!”

In Moscow I was approached by two young girls who wanted to buy the blue jean skirt I was wearing. I declined their offer but they followed me to my hotel. So I told them to wait outside while I went to my room to change. I returned with the skirt and told them they could have it for the equivalent of $5 in rubles. They agreed and went on their way with my skirt. At that time in the 1970s young Russians were gaga over American jeans, which were scarce in their basic stores.

1970‘S Russian youth in blue jeans.
A million thanks Barbara, I know my readers have throughly enjoyed joining you in your travel adventures….I wonder what reflections you will share with us next (soon I hope!)….I can only imagine!!!!!

Barbara’s own photos and newspaper clippings are supplemented by photos found on Pinterest phot credits unknown.

 

With all of us self-isolating our thoughts, or at least mine, are concentrating on food and drink….I need to understand the obsession/hoarding of beans…..

Need some recipes (check the archives for past posts), okay, but I need you to share yours with me as well or no deal!!!!  Here are a of couple thoughts…..

NENA’s BLOODY MARY

In a tall glass pour as much Cucumber Vodka, or regular vodka, as you like…let’s not get carried away here…but….fill glass with Original V-8, 6-7 dashes Tabasco, and a squeeze of Mike’s Hot Honey (I told you I’d share how I use it!!!!! Here is use #1), stir.  Drink and enjoy.  Note…I’m not including ice, it dilutes the drink too much in my opinion.  Garnishes only if you want to.  I’m enjoying one while I write this.

DADDY’S BORSCHT 

I don’t think I have shared this before primarily because it is very special to me….but these are unusual times so why not.  Beware, there aren’t measurements here, I do a lot of recipes by taste, sorry Tommy, but here are the basics….adjust as you like.  Understand, most borscht recipes are family recipes. Serve with a banquette and a lightly dressed salad, if you wish.

Serves 1-2

2 cans Original V-8 (seems to be my go to…)

1 can shoestring beets or beet chunks with juices

6-8 beef meatballs homemade or frozen (if frozen bake first, I use frozen) do not do either raw must be throughly cooked and drain off fat before putting into soup

A few dashes of Angostura bitters

Maybe a “bit” of red wine…up to the cook (since I’m the cook what do you think!!!!!) .

Combine, heat to almost boiling….serve hot with a dollop or more of sour cream and fresh dill.

Taste and adjust accordingly.  If you want the exact taste you will have to come to Chez Ivon for dinner….

Double or triple….freezes well. Most  of all, enjoy.

WINE

My everyday wine of choice is Ménage A Trois, the red blend in particular and the white blend as well…but I’m a red girl, my new favorite white in a Sancerre, love it!!! Please no Chardonnay for me!  Almost out of wine and I’m uncomfortable with having delivery in cardboard am I becoming paranoid?  You know I do love my wine, am I whining…yes, yes I am.

We are in this together…so start sharing!