If any of you want Tidbits emailed directly, let me know and I'll take care of it. Tidbits may be reprinted without charge -- with attribution and without change. Additionally, if you know of anyone who you think would enjoy Tidbits, please make them aware of us. URL
They soar through the heavens ... females of great beauty and elegance ... exquisite afficianados in the art of dance. They are the female spirits of the clouds and the waters. They are the Apsaras.
They dance in the palaces of the gods ... they change their shapes at will ... and they rule over games of chance and gambling. These-- my friends--are the creatures you want to take with you when tripping the light fantastic at Monte Carlo.
These are the celestial nymphs with eyes like lotus leaves ... slim waisted and large hipped ... with deep ample bosoms ... created for the sole purpose of enticement ... stealing the hearts of the unwary ... and luring them--upon occasion--to their deaths. Should you happen to be an ascetic ... beware ... for you are the favorite prey of the Apsaras as they drag you into the depths of depravation. Ah ... the thrill of enticing the unenticeable.
Sh. Listen. Do you hear that familiar refrain? There it is ... in the distance. Benjaminnnnn ... say the faint voices as they reach through the mists of perplexion. What has this do to with jewelry? Funny that question should pop up. No? Funnier yet ... I have the answer.
It has to do with Zhu Bishan and Xie Junping and Tang Junqing and all the other famous gold and silver smiths ... names that reside on the tips of the tongues of every jeweler alive today worth their salt ... names that have come down through the centuries ... names that jewelers of the world whisper in reverential awe while sitting at their benches diddling around with a little granulation ... names that emanated from the Yuan Dynasty ... names associated with crafstmanship seldom seen today ... for they might have been the DeBeers and the Van Cleef's of their day ... with most of their work having disappeared through the millenia ... with only an isolated piece here and there showing up ... gleaming out of the obsurity of an almost all but forgotten past ... brought to the forefront of consciousness by this fellow who seems to delight in uncovering that which most would not see in their every day lives.
And so ... to partially quote the great Cyrano when he was played by an old actor without parallel named Jose Ferrer quite a few years ago ... "As I end the refrain ..." I bring you Apsaras as a gold headress ... unearthed at Quhuisi Village in Shanxi Province ... dating back to the Yuan Dynasty and made by ... who knows ... maybe one of the names named above. Personally ... I haven't a clue.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at
And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
All issues of Tidbits are copyrighted and available from our home page. All rights reserved.