[Tidbits] The Banquet Table Bracelet

The Banquet Table Bracelet

The Renaissance brought jewelry making into an era that created
masterworks of art. And yet…after the Renaissance…there were
still artists of our modern time who created works that deserved
nothing less than a place in a museum. May I present to you,
ladies and gentlemen…Mr. Richard Mawdsley…who was born in
1945 and who created…in 1974…a bracelet so fine in detail as
to be almost incomprehensible. Who could believe that a mere
mortal could create a piece like this? And yet…the naked and
unvarnished truth stands as testimony to what some people can do
with their hands.

Our bracelet…made of sterling silver…represents a dinner
table in miniature. It is heaped with the intricacies and details
of a table top setting of the 17th century. It is reminiscent of
the Dutch still-lifes of that era. And it stands today as a
representation of everyday reality in the Renwick Gallery of
America’s Smithsonian.

Now then…I know you all have not seen any graphics recently.
Lest I might forget…there were some of you who had no
hesitation about writing me in order to kindly remind me of my
trespass. I thank you all for that little nudge that enabled me
to get back on track. I do hope that the image I am putting up
for you this week more than makes up for past lapses.

That said…let me describe a bit further the wonders of Richy’s
bracelet. It has tiny carved and chased and turned objects upon
it. It has lamps with globes of jade, cloths, knives, forks,
goblets, plates of fruit represented by tiny pearls. There is a
berry pie and coffee pots and tea pots. There is a wine bottle
immersed in a silver bucket filled with miniature ice cubes. This
is all done by hand folks…something that needs to be kept in
mind.

I don’t think it was ever meant to be worn. While historical
motifs intrigued Mawdsley…his creation reveals the elements of
fantasy that spurred his imagination. To see this bracelet
folks…you know the route. To my home page…down the table menu
till you get to the box that says Tidbits…and inside that
box…click on the link that says “Banquet.”

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