Mastery of Design: The Podolsky Necklace, 1947

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This exceptional necklace is constructed of an intricate series of flexible, ribbed tubes of gold. This technique—known as “snakes” or “gas-pipes”--rose in prominence in the 1930s and remained very fashionable for necklaces and bracelets throughout the 1940s.

Two hollow, flexible “snake” chains--one of white gold and the other of yellow gold—are joined into a clip fastening at one end and ending in two gold drops surmounted by two collars, one of sapphires and the other of rubies at the other end.

An open scrolling band at the front encases the chains. This band is set with brilliant-cut diamonds bordered by a thin band of table-cut rubies on one side and of sapphires on the other. This section is removable and can be worn separately as a clip.

The necklace was made in London between 1947 and 1948 by Eyna Wolko Podolsky (1888-1962). Paul Podolsky, the son of the maker, stated that in 1947, 18ct gold was possible only for export and that this necklace was made for their client Abdul Maleek in Alexandria, Egypt.

Painting of the Day: "A Man, Perhaps Sir John Wildman," 1647

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This miniature of watercolor on ivory is still in its original Seventeenth-century blue enameled gold locket. The subject closely resembled an etching of a man from 1653 by the Bohemian Wenceslaus Hollar, which is said to depict Sir John Wildman—known as one of the men involved in trying and condemning to death King Charles I.

The portrait is signed “IH” for John Hoskins, however, this could refer to Hoskins or his son since both men signed their miniatures identically. Some believe that this miniature is the work of Hoskins the Younger because it is like others in a group of miniatures which are apparently by one, steadier hand. Regardless, we know that it came from the Hoskins workshop.

The Home Beautiful: Paneled room from The Grove in Harborne, 1877

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I’m always amazed to see whole rooms from houses reassembled in museums. I wonder, first, what happened to the rest of the house, and, second, how a room can be removed from a structure so neatly. Here’s an entire room as seen at the V&A from “The Grove” in Harborne, Birmingham, England. The Grove was designed in 1877–78 by John Henry Chamberlain for William Kenrick, a prominent Birmingham businessman.

This room is the anteroom of the drawing room. It was acquired by the V&A just before the house was demolished. The structure is unusual in that it reflects a mixture of several architectural styles—Classical, Gothic and Aesthetic.

Decorated with inlaid, painted and gilded wood, the room was used to display Kendrick’s important collection of blue and white ceramics. The ancient porcelains must have looked very handsome contrasted against the paneling of sycamore and oak, with inlays of walnut and other exotic woods. The mirror surround above the marble fireplace is gilded as is the background of the curved frieze which was painted with a naturalistic design of apple blossom and birds on a blue ground.

In 1962, The Grove’s house and grounds had been bequeathed to the City Council of Harborne who decided to pull the house down. The Ante-Room was removed by the V&A for display before the house was demolished. The reassembled structure was opened to the public in June 1967.

At the Music Hall: The Blue Room, 1926

We'll have a blue room, A new room,
For two room,
Where ev'ry day's a holiday
Because you're married to me.
Not like a ballroom,
A small room,
A hall room,
Where I can smoke my pipe away
With your head upon my knee.
You sew your trousseau,
And Robinson Crusoe
Is not so far from worldly cares
As our blue room 'way upstairs.


"Blue Room,” a popular standard, is from the 1926 Rodgers and Hart musical “The Girl Friend.” The song quickly became popular both in the music halls which were dying out at the time and the Jazz Clubs which were on the rise.

Here’s a version of the song by Jazz violinist Joe Venuti and vocalist Harold Arlen, recorded in 1928.

Punch's Cousin, Chapter 448

Marie Laveau moaned as another passerby pitched a half-eaten apple at her. Tied to a hitching post in front of Iolanthe Evangeline’s Bawdy House, Marie shivered at the sneering faces who mocked her.

“Iolanthe!” she screamed—partly from fear, partly from anger and embarrassment and partly from the burning pain she felt in her abdomen.

Iolanthe, however, didn’t come. Marie’s screams were met by Mala who shuffled out of the house toward Marie.

“Untie me!” Marie pleaded.

“What you think I come for to do?” Mala grumbled.

“How could she do this to me?” Marie gasped as Mala untied her.

“Don’t rightly know.” Mala shrugged. “She wants you back in the house.”

Mala helped Marie to her feet and, in an unusually compassionate move on her part, helped the woman limp into the house.

Iolanthe descended the sparkling mahogany staircase, grinning with each step.

“You sow!” Marie growled weakly.

“I know,” Iolanthe winked. “Mala, leave us.”

Mala nodded and disappeared to the dark corners of the house which served as her habitat.

“Come into the drawing room,” Iolanthe smiled at Marie.

“Why?”

“So you can rest.” Iolanthe replied plainly. “You’ve just lost a child, Marie. I know how exhausting that can be. I’ve lost three.”

“You done this to me.” Marie began to sob. “You killed my baby—with poison--and then you put me out on the street to be mocked!”

“And you ruined my hands.” Iolanthe smiled. “In my business, a woman needs her hands.”

“So, you murder my child and then humiliate me?”

“Yes.” Iolanthe nodded watching as Marie painfully settled onto a richly upholstered chair. “I’m a monster. Didn’t you know?”

Marie wiped her eyes.

“You got to thinkin’ you were high and mighty, Marie. You got to thinkin’ that you were better than me, that you were able to make a fool of ol’ Iolanthe. Ain’t no one can get the better of me, Marie Laveau. No one. And, I don’t want you thinkin’ that they can.”

“Fine, Iolanthe.” Marie whispered. “You win.”

“I know.” Iolanthe chuckled. “So, now that I’ve shown you that I am the better of the two of us, I trust you’ll cooperate with me.”

“What have I got now that you could use?” Marie whimpered. “When you killed the child inside me, you took away my power—my future.”

“Oh, now, you’ve still got plenty of power, Marie Laveau.” Iolanthe clucked her tongue. “I just want you to remember that anything you got is mine and mine alone.”

“I want to go home.” Marie sobbed.

“And, you will.” Iolanthe sighed. “But, not until you pledge your fidelity to me.”

“Why?” Marie screamed.

“This very day, the Duke of Fallbridge is about to board a ship on his way back to England. That man has caused me far too much trouble. Just a few weeks ago, I had made a brilliant arrangement. I was to have a new girl—a fine English lady, a beautiful diamond and money in my purse from giving Edward Cage a child. What have I got now? Burned hands, no diamond, no money, an angry Edward Cage, and no English girl. As I have just shown you, I don’t like when folk try to get the better of me. I want what I’m due, and now that you’re mine, you’re going to help me get it.”

“How?”

“Cooperation, Marie. Cooperation.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-447? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday, January 30, 2012 for Chapter 448 of Punch’s Cousin.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Robert Adam Candlestand, 1771-4

This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Inspired by then-recent discoveries of antiquities, this carved candlestand is painted blue with the white ornaments. It has been designed in the shape of a Roman sacrificial altar with the uppermost part in the shape of a bowl trimmed with molding in the form of a Vitruvian scroll frieze. Elaborate figural supports terminate in a triangular pedestal decorated with eagles and swags. The edges of the pedestal are adorned with a foliate drop, rams heads and lion's feet, resting on three Etruscan sphinxes.

Made in London between1771-1774, this candlestand is the work of Robert Adam (1728-1792) who was known for his architectural designs and fine woodworking. This piece is an intricate combination of pine (upper section and ornaments) and mahogany (the pedestal) held together with small metal nails.

This is one of a pair (another pair by Adam of simpler design is now in the Melbourne Art Gallery) thought to have been made for the eating room of 20 St. James's Square--the London town house of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, a leading patron of arts and music. The house was designed and built by Robert Adam between August 1771 and August 1774 and is one of the few surviving examples of Adam’s architectural designs. 

The pair was purchased by the Crown for display at the Victoria and Albert Museum, sometime in the Nineteenth Century. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Foundling Vase, 1762

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This elaborate vessel is known as “The Foundling Vase” because it was presented in 1763, a year after it was made, to the Foundling Hospital in London. The Foundling Hospital housed Britain's first public art gallery, and the vase was given for public display by Dr. George Garnier.

The vase was made at the Chelsea porcelain factory in London. A work of soft-paste porcelain, it is painted in enamel colors in reserves on a Mazarine blue ground. Gilt details add further luster.

This was made as one of a pair, however, the two were separated soon after creation. Its mate, now known as the Chesterfield Vase, remained unsold at the Chelsea factory, until 1770 when it was purchased by the Earl of Chesterfield.

The Foundling Vase remained on display at the Foundling Hospital until 1869, when it was sold for £1,500 to the Earl of Dudley who had already bought its companion for “upwards of £2,000” from the Earl of Chesterfield. Both are now in the collection of the V&A.

The pair was inspired by Sévres porcelain vases of the era. The Chelsea Factory adapted visual themes from Sévres in this piece, including the elaboration of the Rococo scrollwork handles, the tooled gilding, the “mazarine” blue ground and the richly-enameled panels.