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There are only two species on our planet that are on the increase. All the rest are on a decline. They are humans and insects. I read somewhere that the insects will outlast us because they adapt themselves to their environment while we adapt our environment to our needs.
Once upon a time in Middle Kingdom Egypt there was an organization called the Order of the Golden Fly. I imagine it was not too different from the fraternity of The Order of Knights of Pythias of today.
Back in those olden times ... so admired were these insects because of their swiftness ... their agility ... and their persistence ... that the Pharaohs--in grudging admiration for these invasive pests--gave them in the form of golden pendants as gifts to the most valiant soldiers and diligent servants. In keeping with that most intense form of sequential logic to which I adhere rigorously ... I have absolutely no golden flies to show you. My methodology is arcane. My paths are long and tortuous.
And then ... some time during the process of creation ... He who Is created the Praying Mantis: A delightful little creature who enjoyed nothing more --when not gobbling up other insects--than ingesting her mate either after or even during copulation. To say this might--at times--hinder the process of procreation would be ... in my humble opinion ... a masterpiece of English understatement. But there it is. Life is stranger than crap.
And so we segue--with great skill I might add--into the world of costume jewelry. As I am sure you all know--if you are assiduous readers of Tidbits--Costume Jewelry came into the forefront of our culture during World War II when money was a wee bit scarce and with but a few pennies one could still carry the look of great wealth and taste. One could wear on one's blouse a doo-dad not dissimilar to what Hedy Lamar or Marlene Dietrich wore ... and no one would know whose was real and whose was fake. For those of you who would proclaim that you could tell the difference in a snap because Hedy lived in Hollywood and Felicia lived on Delancy street ... to you I say ... begone you despoiler of dreams and self-aggrandizing illusions.
And so ... in a heady moment of creation ... a jeweler in 1940 created--right here in the good old U. S. of A. ... a paste on chrome
3 x 4 1/5" brooch of a Praying Mantis. It's an absolute knockout. No value given.
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And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
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