[Jewelry making - Article 00627] - [Orchid] [Tidbits] Hand of Who?...

[Benjamin Mark]

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    She bought the bracelet from Georges Fouquet--a Parisian jeweler and
    goldsmith who took over his family's business around 1895. Alas ...
    famous as she was... she had so much trouble paying for the little
    trinket that Fouquet had to send a messenger to the theatre every
    night where she was appearing as Cleopatra in order to collect the
    installments she owed on it. Bling bling on the installment
    plan--lest you all think otherwise--is not a product of modernist
    society. I am quite sure that when Grub went to buy his girl--after
    having dragged her by her hair to his cave--a bear-claw necklace from
    that overpriced yet talented jeweler from a neighboring tribe... he
    had to pay dearly in stone spear-heads over many moons. 

    That said... let me help you in guessing to whom our hand belongs.
    Our heroine was born in Paris, France in 1844. Her grandfather,
    Moritz, was a Jewish merchant in Amsterdam, Holland. To support
    herself... our lady combined two careers: That of actress and that of
    courtesan... not widely held as respectable choices for the women of
    that day. Today of course... these are both careers to be envied.
    Yes? No? 

    She was sponsored into the Conservatoire de Musique et D=eclamation
    by the Duc de Morny in 1859. Three years later...she began her stage
    career. Alas... she was a failure... and in 1865... she returned to
    her original career as courtesan. And then she bought a coffin... and
    often slept in it in lieu of a bed. This experience clearly must have
    helped... for she returned to the stage in the 1870's and her fame
    then grew. Europe. New York. The world. She was now considered by
    many to be the most famous actress of her day. 

    And then she became a teacher and had among her students another
    actress and fellow courtesan... Liane de Pougy... whoever she is. 

    When once asked if she was a religious person, she said, "Me pray?
    Never! I'm an atheist." 

    So... do you know who she is? Want to guess before I tell you? 

    Sarah Bernhardt was who she was. And the hand in the image with the
    Fouquet bracelet was hers. 

    And Happy New Year to you all. 

    For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I
    direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
    scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that says
    Current Tidbits... and then click on it in order to view a bracelet
    by Fouquet and a hand by Bernhardt. 

And there ya have it.
That's it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark
http://www.tyler-adam.com
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