French fancies
* Folding fans are thought to have arrived in France in 1533 with Catherine de’ Medici – an Italian who, through marriage, would become Queen of France. With summer here, […]
The world in your palm
Those who believe the world is flat may well struggle with the instruments of science presented on the following pages. The 5th BC discovery that Earth is round provided the […]
Drinking games
I know of a person who would amuse himself by piercing a hole in someone’s can of Coke, causing an annoying dribble when they tipped it up to drink. You […]
The Luddite, the poacher and the thieves
On 13th May 1787 the first ship of convicts sailed from Portsmouth, arriving in Botany Bay, Australia the following January. Over the next eighty years, Britain and Ireland transported around […]
Fight the power
Wear your heart on your sleeve and your outrage on your lapel. Protest badges are a symbol of allegiance and an act of defiance against the status quo. These small […]
JUGS JUGS JUGS
– Pablo Picasso, 1955. Earthenware pitcher. JUGS for serving ale or cider at special occasions. Globe shaped, often in red earthenware with white-slip sgraffito decoration of nature motifs and rhymes. […]
The King’s Game and Queen’s Gambit
On the front cover of our Winter 2021 issue are a selection of intricate chess pieces. The pieces featured are from an 1800s German set of the Selenus style. Prior […]