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According to The Random House Dictionary of the English Language: A small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity. So let me ask you this ... you wanna see my Bibelot?... Hmmm?
The year is 1861. It's New Year's Day. The fourth viscount de Vesci commissions one Sir Alfred Gilbert to make a little doo-dad for the wife. There's an occasion coming up. I'm sure the viscount's refrain echoes with familiarity in the ears of all married men. I ask you ... who has not heard or thought this phrase before? "Oh my god ... I forgot ...it's our anniversary ... I need to give my wife a bibelot. Alfredddd!..."
It's called The de Vesci Seal ... and it's a stunner. It's made of patinated silver, gold, enamel, heliotrope, glass, and turquoise. It was presented to the viscount's wife as a silver wedding anniversary gift in 1896. As to the sculptor named Gilbert ... probably the greatest of the Victorian sculptors ... well ... he was a procrastinator par excellence ... which explains the five year gap between commission and completion.
For those of you who have never heard of Gilbert ...he's the guy who created the Eros Fountain in Piccadilly Circus, London ... circa
1886-93. As to our bibelot ... it's described as a swelling organic ornament in miniature you should pardon the expression--is this an oxymoron--measuring 7.5 inches in length ... breadth is not mentioned. Price is also not mentioned ... but at this point ... who cares?A short Tidbit to be sure ... but in brevity there's depth ... or something like that. I don't know. Don't ask.
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
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