Come up and see my etching

Anders Zorn - Swedish (1860 - 1920)

Ernest Renan.

Etching, 1892, Signed in ink, 9 1/4 x 13.

Renan (1823-1892) was a French philosopher, best known for his influential historical works on early Christianity and his political theories. He was obviously oblivious to the recommended advice of never discussing politics and religion. I bought this etching a very long time ago, and have always rather enjoyed the mad stare of the subject.

Enough about me, let's talk about saffron

Lindaraxa nominated me for a Stylish Blogger Award. The little minx.

The Stylish Blogger Award is given by bloggers to other bloggers in recognition of....

having generous friends who make kind remarks about your blog whether deserved or not.

As I had been nominated for a similar "award" recently, and not wishing to warble on endlessly about myself, I promised that if I could come up with something amusing, I would respond with that. Sadly, my attempts at creativity have sounded pretty hollow to me, so I shall just have to leave it with a very big thank you to Lindaraxa, and a bouquet of croci - Crocus tommasinianus - photographed above during our stay in the Borders, in September.

As the crocus produces the spice saffron, it seems entirely appropriate that my bouquet should consist of a variety of this plant - presenting it to one of the best cooking blogs I know. And as a Cuban, Lindaraxa will appreciate the use of the spice in quite a lot of their recipes. I'm sure she might oblige us with one of them.

Twelfth night, plus twenty

The orchids we bought for Christmas are still flowering, and in the case of the ones in the black pot in the kitchen, still producing a welcoming scent.

When I was growing up we were always under strict rules to remove Christmas decorations by twelfth night, to avoid misfortune. But there is some dispute as to when twelfth night occurs. That notwithstanding, it seems entirely appropriate that these plants should be given maximum exposure during this phase of their flowering cycle.

Going green

From my resident Japanese correspondent:

A recent medical survey of Kakegawa in Shizuoka prefecture in central Japan shows the death rate by cancer is the lowest in Japan and total medical bills of its citizens is 20% lower than average Japanese cities!

The reason for this phenomenon is the consumption of green tea.

Kakegawa tea is slightly different from other teas in that it is double

steamed to reduce its bitterness which enables all the healthy

ingredients in the tea to be more easily dissolved, and thus more of them are absorbed.

The death  rate from heart disease is 15% lower, and from strokes 20% lower than other cities in Shizuoka which is the largest green tea producer in Japan.

The beneficial ingredients are:

Beta carotene: with antioxidants

Vitamin E: to improve blood circulation and the immune system

Chlorophyll: improves intestinal flora, good bacteria

 

In an experiment, a group of adults with slightly elevated cholesterol levels were chosen. After three months of green tea intake (strong green tea 600ml per day) and without any other changes in diet or life style, results showed:

LDL (bad) cholesterol was reduced by 9.02 on average

good bacteria in the gut improved by 10% in 10 days

Waist size reduced by 1.86cm

The trick is to grind tea leaves, making the powder that would normally be produced by matcha - our own Tea Ceremony, if you will. We began our own experiment nearly ten days ago, and will let you know how it progresses. 

Auld Reekie

Edinburgh Early Evening, John Heywood.

John Heywood studied art at Lancaster University, before moving to Edinburgh, where he has spent most of his adult life. He developed his drawing skills through the classical discipline of life drawing before he joined the Printmakers Workshop in the mid 1980s.

He now works almost exclusively in the medium of Etching. He looks for the magical or romatic in every day scenes and is particularly inspired by the light and variable topography of Edinburgh.

This picture hangs on one wall of the office.

And its panoramic effect has been exaggerated by doubling the size, with passepartout and framing. It previously hung above the chimneypiece in our dining room in Edinburgh.

There was a specific design effect sought here, utilising the space between a pair of verdigris bronze sphinxes, and picking out the cream silk of the curtains and chair cushions. The gold frame has flecks of red, mirroring the gold and red of the chairs.

Pond Life and other surprises

My recent newsletter from Sotheby's Hong Kong showed these amongst a number of Chinese works of art that had been sold at auction. Taking an exchange rate of HKD7.8 to USD1, this means the first picture achieved just over USD2m, and the second nearly USD4.25m.

In anyone's book these are staggering results, highlighted perhaps by the increase over estimate. They are reflecting what I have written about for Chinese art, (the C19th Chinese School picture and the 18th century Qianlong porcelain vase), that the prices are beginning to look ridiculous, in my opinion. Like so much in China, there appears to be a bubble forming, a concern being shared in equity markets, which are beginning to worry about the impact of that bubble bursting in so many sectors, including the general economy, but in housing too.

Not all salads require alliteration

Pomelo salad is an enjoyable accompaniment to drinks, for those of you who shudder at the prospect of of malnutrition by salad alone.

The intoxicating combination of Pomelo, painstakingly broken down into its own tiny pods, (preferably by someone other than yours truly), and tossed with a mixture of chopped lemon grass rings, slivers of shallots, slightly grilled peanuts, deep fried anchovies, fresh mint and dried shimps, chillies, all combined with mashed tamarind, fish sauce and fresh lime juice, is an incentive to pour the next cocktail forthwith.

It also makes an unusual, but welcome hors d'oeuvre, if you don't over spice it.

Are you sitting uncomfortably?

When there are so many things in life that can be irksome, it is of course important to have chairs that are comfortable. I can't think that any of these seating options would fit the bill.

When I designed and had my furniture maker construct the sofas, armchairs and daybeds, they first drew life size images so that I could see the pieces in situ, and how they might fit in plan form. They then constructed the wooden frame of each piece, so I could get a better understanding of the dimensions in 3D. This step involved changing one set of armchairs because the width was incorrect. Finally the cushioning was installed and each piece tried for comfort, and pitch. Once approved, the last stage involved the fabric upholstery.

Each piece, although visually formal, is extremely comfortable. Seven years on they still look good, even if closer examination shows the effects of sun damage on fabric. Subdued lighting at night masks that completely, and as it's uniform, it is only noticeable to me.

Caesar salad Sunday supper

A Caesar salad with the leftover from a roasted chicken makes for a delightful Sunday evening supper. The richness of the ingredients mean that a little goes a long way.

The orgins of the salad are in dispute, but the generally accepted version is this one, (from Wikipedia):

The salad's creation is generally attributed to restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian-born Mexican. Cardini was living in San Diego but also working in Tijuana where he avoided the restrictions of Prohibition. His daughter Rosa (1928–2003) recounted that her father invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing "by the chef".

A number of Cardini's staff have claimed to have invented the dish.

I mostly followed this recipe from Delia Smith's Summer Collection. As I noted in the comments section, I used Green Oak Salanova lettuce, best quality shop bought croutons, and I also added leftover roast chicken.

Black & blue

These are two framed posters of paintings by the Scottish Colourist F C B Cadell, which hang in my kitchen. Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (April 12, 1883 – December 6, 1937) was born in Edinburgh. His work including these two, depicted interiors of Edinburgh New Town flats, Iona, and of glamorous women. Although Cadell's work now fetches substantial sums, (hundreds of thousands of pounds), the economic downturn of the late Twenties made sales of his pictures difficult, and he died in penury.

In control

Clarence John Laughlin (1905- 1985) The Magnificent Spiral (No. 3), 1946

One rather suspects that this story from Celebrity Cafe is very unlikely to be true.

Perhaps this line gives it all away:

When the Queen heard this news, according to royal reporter Yvonne Yorke, “She was so angry, that she…didn’t even bother going into a private room…she walked right into the office, and said to somebody ‘give me a phone’.

It might have sounded more plausible if the writer of this drivel had said: The Queen, wearing her usual daywear tiara summoned several liveried lackeys and demanded that they call the Gold Stick-in-Waiting,  imperiously instructing him to gather a division of the Household Cavalry, so that they might ride post-haste to her grandson and ask him why he wasn't wearing his Garter Robes on a daily basis...

One rather suspects that Her Majesty is very much in control.

Of her emotions.

But of course one should never let a good story get in the way of the truth. And there will be plenty of those around in the months leading up to the wedding at the end of April.

Vivat Regina!

Bund-aba

(Chinese, active 1850-1885), View of the Bund at Shanghai, circa 1855, unsigned, oil on canvas, 20-3/4 x 37-1/4 in.; original reticulated Chinese Export frame. The palette of brown and blue and the minute detail of the brushwork suggest the hand of Chow Kwa, who was noted for his remarkable versatility and attention to fine detail. It is thought that Chow Kwa set up a studio in Shanghai in 1855, which is also approximately when this painting was executed. It depicts the Customs House as it appeared with renovated wings following damage incurred during The Sword Rebellion. To the far right is the British Consulate. To the right of the center is the Augustine Heard & Co. building, to which was added an imposing third story around 1854. The river is busy with various types of shipping vessels including an American steamer to the left. Acquired in China, this painting was brought back to the United States by Thomas Peck Bucklin (see lot 0288) on the clipper ship [Comet] sometime between 1854 and 1863. Bucklin was co-owner (Bucklin & Crane, New York) of the ship, which made a record passage from Liverpool to Hong Kong in 1854.

Sold at Brunk Auctions, Asheville, NC for USD420,000.00 from a starting price of USD50,000 and a top estimate of USD90,000. Chinese art of whatever medium is seeing some remarkable prices.

The long and the short of it

In my last post I mentioned the work of John Kay, the caricaturist, engraver and miniature painter. Kay was born in 1742. His early life was not idyllic after the death of his father, when he was six. Despite this, the young Kay showed great skill in drawing, and his success persuaded him to set up his own print business in Parliament Close, behind St Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh in 1817.

Kay's endearing images were drawn from clients, who were the principal nobility and gentry of Edinburgh and its environs, whom he encountered during his apprenticeship to George Heriot, a barber. Although mainly gently-humoured and sympathetic to his subjects, he could be as sharp as is barber's razor, with angry victims sometimes buying prints of themselves, just to tear them up.

I acquired a small collection of these engravings, which I had intended to use for a black and white collection of ceramics. My less ambitious endeavours might see me framing these, when I acquire something akin to a gallery for the growing floor-stacked collection of pictures of varying degrees of interest, value and media.