It was only a few days ago I wrote about Iris 'Blue Note' (Reticulata) but my friend had such a lovely display of this small, early bulb, protected by a frame of Cornus alba (dogwood) stems, that here it is again!
‘Self-Portrait as a Chimera’ Inkwell by Sarah Bernhardt. Made in Paris, ca. 1880, medium is bronze. Art Institute Chicago reference number: 2021.2
“French actor and artist Sarah Bernhardt was perhaps the first global superstar, with legions of admirers spread across Britain, continental Europe, North and South America, and as far afield as Australia. In this fantastical bronze inkwell, she portrayed herself as a chimera, a mythological creature composed of disparate body parts. Here, Bernhardt joined her human torso and head to clawed haunches, bat wings, and a dragon-like tail. The work is a key example of her inspired use of visual media to fashion and promote her own image.”
This striking display of succulents at The Beth Chatto Garden, Essex, features a large Aeonium ‘Schwarzkopf’ (black rose). The striking almost black, rosettes form tight spirals at the top of tall stems. These tender plants need bright sunlight and well-drained growing media.
Crane and Tortoise Box. Japanese origin, dated 1894; medium is silver with gold and lacquer; dimensions: 10.5 cm high. From the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum collection, accession number: M18e44.a-b
"This crane and tortoise box was designed and produced to be given to guests at the imperial banquet for the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of the Meiji Emperor and Empress in 1894. Often referred to by the French term “bonbonnière,” the box is decorated with a crane and two tortoises (minogame), historic motifs that convey messages of auspiciousness and longevity across East Asia. …"