TIDBITS 01/18/09

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We encourage you to forward this email to friends and colleagues. ====================================== To make a long story short ... last week's answer was me. And now ....

Chapeau du Jour

If you want to know who was ... is ... and probably always will be in the forefront in the developing tastes for richly decorated clothing and accessories as well as gems and jewelry ... it is ... hands down ... India. Its culture has spread over time to include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and part of Afghanistan.

It was not only jewelry folks. It was also the heavily influential embellishments on clothing that caused Indian styles' influence on Central and South Asia. The key words were abundance and extravagance and meticulous attention to detail. This last part is--of course--they key to the creation of all things ... not the least of which is jewelry.

Each single jewel on hat or costume was designed to blend into the whole rather than stand out as an individual center of attention. A major preference in the finishing of stones was to polish them au-natural rather than facet them so as to not diminish their size and to also enhance the effect of amazing the beholder of said gems. Cutting and faceting of stones would become the product of a more modern age.

Rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and pearls studding and interlacing turbans were the iconic symbols of wealth and social rank. This was clearly before the era of the Bentley and Rolls Royce which--while clearly one of the ultimate symbols of wealth and rank in today's world--had the distinct disadvantage of not being nearly as portable.

All of which brings us quite logically--I'm anything if not logical--to the Mughal Empire. Jewelry, gem-saturated clothing, and, of course, aigrettes ... long plumes of white heron. Who in their right minds would not want one of these ornamenting ceremonial headdresses? Bejeweled aigrettes also adorned many a turban during the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century.

And then came the 18th century. European women were looking for something new ... something a tad avant-garde with which to snub their closest friends. They looked to the east for fashion. And the aigrette re-emerged ... and stayed as the chapeau du jour to be delicately balanced like a stack of books upon the lovely head of the snubbor.... an overstated extravaganza competing only with Carmen Miranda--who ... parenthetically--started her career as a hat maker before becoming the Brazilian sensation she became.

I bring you ladies and gentlemen ... an example. A red velvet headdress carefully interwoven with seed pearls and gemstones and diamonds from which extends a bird of paradise aigrette and plume ... a chapeau which can easily be worn with fierce pride on fifth avenue on Easter Sunday. Judy Garland eat your heart out.

For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at

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where you will scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says Current Tidbits ... and you will get to view a headdress of extraordinary quality.

And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark

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