This set of earclips by Van Cleef and Arpels was made between 1940 and 1950. The feature a curved panel of gold set with rubies swept around a rod of gold.
The surface of each clip has a pattern of honeycombs in which each hexagon holds a star-set ruby. This design was created by Van Cleef and Arpels in the late 1930s, and was introduced as a flexible bracelet. The style remained popular throughout the 1940s and into the '50s.
The Parisian jewelers Van Cleef and Arpels opened their first New York branch in October of 1929. Bad timing as the venture was ruined by the Stock Market Crash. Ten years later, following the New York World's Fair, they re-established their presence in New York and were, as we know, wildly successful.
Once, again, Mr. Punch, with my help, is offering up a true Victorian riddle. The first person to answer correctly--by posting in the comments--will receive public congratulations. So, here's this week's riddle. We ask that you don't Google the answer. Mr. Punch would not find that sporting at all. Give it a shot and see what you can come up with. Here we go... No cheating...
What is round as a dishpan, deep as a tub, and still the oceans couldn't fill it up? And...the answer is... A Sieve or Colander. Congratulations to Kathy for being the first to give the right answer. I'm closing this week's puzzle a little early since I'm battling a computer virus and wanted to make sure I could post the answer before I start the process of restoring things. Come back next week for another of Mr. Punch's Puzzles!
Mr. Punch wants you to always know “the way to do it,” so why not check out our “That’s the way to do it!” products which are available only at our online store.
In the 1820’s artist George Cruikshank famously illustrated scenes from the Punch & Judy shows of the Professor known as Piccini. Many of the characters in Piccini’s puppet plat have fallen out of use. Among these was the “Courtier” who was a great source of irritation to Mr. Punch.
Piccini’s puppet play introduced the Courtier character who Piccini based on the traditional notion of the romantic Italian. The Courtier is notable for his long, extending neck—a trait he shares with the irascible Mr. Scaramouche. As Punch is courting “Pretty Polly,” just before his murderous spree gets truly underway, he encounters the Courtier and is, of course, wildly irritated by him. In some versions, Punch merely threatens the Courtier. In others, he knocks the man’s head off of his long neck. In most cases, the Courtier serves as a symbol of the threat of Punch’s demise by hanging.
The reality of the puppet, however, was that Piccini wished to show off his skills as a puppeteer. The Courtier is unique to Piccini’s version of the play and served to showcase Piccini’s talents. The Courtier performs a rather difficult trick of arranging and removing his hat—not an easy task with wooden hands that are incapable of grasping. Skilled puppeteers have been known to recreate this unique scene which, according to Piccini’s original script plays as follows.
[Enter a figure dressed as a courtier who sings a slow air, and moves to it with great gravity and solemnity. He first takes off his hat on the right of the theatre, and then on the left, and then carries it in his hand. He stops in the centre, the music ceases; and suddenly, his throat begins to elongate, and his head gradually rises until his neck is taller than all the rest of his body. After pausing for some time, the head sinks again; and as soon as it returns to its natural place, the figure exits.] ENTER Punch from behind the curtain, where he has been watching the maneuvers of the figure. PUNCH: Who the Devil are you? Me should like to know, with your long neck? You may get it stretched for you, one of these days, by someone else. It’s a very fine day [Peeping out and looking to the sky]. I’ll go fetch my horse and take a ride to visit my Pretty Poll’. [Singing] Of all the girls that are so smart, There’s none like Pretty Polly: She is the darling of my heart, She is so plump and jolly.
Here, we see this original scene as performed by Australia’s Professor Whatsit, otherwise known as Chris van der Craats who has brilliantly recreated this figure based on the drawings of Cruikshank.
Throughout Mr. Punch’s English evolution, he increasingly began to represent the voice of the people and became a tool by which satirical commentary could be proffered without fear of retribution. In 1841, Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells founded Punch Magazine—taking the name from the popular puppet as well as a personal pun that they shared with their contributor, Mark Lemon, “Punch is nothing without Lemon.”
Punch Magazine gave rise to a new style of parody and political commentary and is credited as being the first publication to refer to a comic drawing as a “cartoon.” A conservative magazine, Punch offered sophisticated humor without the threat of vulgarity, and was soon welcomed into the finest drawing rooms and clubs. The magazine grew in popularity until the 1940’s. Soon, its readership slowly declined. The magazine closed in 1992. Mohammed Al-Fayed’s 1996 remake of Punch Magazine was a dismal failure.
Still, many copies of Punch remain today and offer us a glimpse at the art, politics and humor of one hundred and fifty years of British history. I’m particularly fond of the magazine’s first cover. The engraving by Landelis depicts Mr. Punch triumphantly hanging the Devil (a favorite pastime of his). The wild look of glee on Mr. Punch’s face just makes me smile.
Today, we are vexed by technical issues and business intrusions. So, we're going to postpone today's chapter of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square. The next chapter will be posted on Tuesday, May 28 as Bertie and I will be taking a hiatus on Monday and Tuesday for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. Tomorrow, however, you'll have all sorts of fun Music Hall related stuff to look at. So, make sure to come back then.
Mr. Punch and the Devil
Print of unknown origins
George Speaight Punch and Judy Archive The Victoria & Albert Museum
This engraving is something of a mystery. Nothing is known about its origins and it could date anywhere between the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries. The work of an unknown artist and publisher, the print has been hand-colored with watercolors and, at a later date, mounted on card.
The image depicts a decidedly human-looking Mr. Punch as he defeats the Devil (who is quite grotesque and ferocious) by literally kicking his posterior. Long a part of the Punch & Judy mythology, Punch’s triumph over the Devil has frequently been portrayed in art, however, few depictions are as jubilantly realistic.
Worked in watercolor by an unknown artist and dating to the late Nineteenth Century, this drawing portrays a puppet devil and other grotesque characters. Since this is part of the V&A’s George Speaight Punch & Judy Collection, we can presume that the devil we see here was probably used as Mr. Punch’s Devil, however, the presence of the other puppet demons suggests that the painting depicts a group of figures which had many purposes.
The work bears an inscription on the reverse. While this handwritten note doesn’t give us any idea about the origins of the painting, it does give us a little sense of its life before coming to George Speaight and ending up in the V&A.
On the back, in pencil, is written, “Puppet/ devile from Faciet/ The [illigible] Puppet/ presented by Max Joseph/ to Mary/ May 14th 1963.”
Interesting. All of that meant something to someone at one point.
I really like this. I wouldn’t want to display it in my home since it would scare Bertie, but I find it appealing in a devil puppet kind of way.
