Beauty in the eye of the beholder
We sold this lovely silver plated hanging Custodial Pyx to a customer in America, recently. It is a marvelous thing, rather like a small fortress on a chain, which, when you turn the perfectly formed little key allows one to slide out a secret cylinder containing the host.
The customer was very pleased with it and sent us the above picture to show the Pyx in its new home. There it is, suspended above the Altar, behind the Vail with tassles.
There’s some kind of meditation on beauty here. Does an object become less valuable and less pleasing because it is hidden? Or maybe more so? Perhaps the significance here is that this beauty is only for the eyes of God. Rather that than the meanness practised by a millionaire who has a priceless painting in a vault. Or the man who keeps the women in his family locked away rather than risk anyone else seeing them.
Photo reblogged from Desolate Places with 2 notes
Reblogged from DesolatePlaces.
Those empty American churches, more unwanted religious furniture than you could shake a stick at…
Source: desolateplacesphoto
Photo reblogged from Got a passion; make it happen. with 23 notes
Well, if you can’t beat them…
Source: weheartit.com
Photoset with 3 notes
Wren Hen
When I mention that we are based at ‘Rivernook Farm, Sunnyside’ people often say how nice it sounds. An Sylvanian image of trees, haystacks and petting cattle is conjured up which sadly gives no idea of the reality - we work in a lorry park surrounded by dozens of chemical lavatories. In Feng Shui terms it is definitely a fail.
However, we do have some nature. Premature blackberries, foxes, rats and this mother Wren who has built her nest a few inches from the main door of the rear warehouse in a breezeblock hole. They’re feisty little birds that make an ugly Tutting noise when they want you to clear off. If they were dogs, they would be Chihuahuas.
Photo with 3 notes
Portuguese Religious Statues
I always liked that Catholic belief that one can ask Saints and other major characters to intercede on your behalf. A bit like going to a mortgage broker to help get that house loan, it helps to have someone on your side who knows what they are doing. As is common throughout Southern Europe, Portuguese churches have a comprehensive selection of Statues representing everyone from the Mother of God to some very obscure movers and shakers. Talking of which the chap on the right is Saint Roman, probably Roman the Melodist. He was a hymn writer and singer who was given a holy scroll by the Madonna and told to eat it. After doing this he sang like noone has ever sung before and wrote many hundreds acclaimed psalms. Those who had previously mocked prostrated themselves in front of him and begged for forgiveness; how satisfying that must have been! Here he is shown with a book in one hand and bread and wheat in the other in what I assume is a straightforward transubstantiation play.
British TV Stars at Rivernook Farm.
Meanwhile, back in the UK, I finally got around to looking at this old recorded programme of ‘House Gift’ with Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen. This is one of those shows that make you realise that being unemployed is no picnic. No money, no future and TV like this to fill your days. Anyway, the premise of ‘House Gift’ is that sundry house owners who have no taste or style call in Lawrence and his two random girl designers to show them the way with new knick knacks, ornaments and various dust gatherers.
Lawrence came and visited our warehouse to see if there was something unusual and unique for this one beige-strapped couple and ultimately decided that our stuff was simply too unusual and unique. Sigh. As he presented Gavin and Stacey, or whatever their names were, with a picture frame, a lava lamp, or something, he made it clear what a narrow escape they had had. Cheers for that Larry.
In the lower photo, as evinced by his expression, he explains how you’d pretty much have to be mad to put our furniture into a normal home… Still, he was very friendly to our folks here, signed a card and brought a fleeting sense of showbiz glamour to the farm. Fantastic hair as well.
Gypsy Street
Sorry, but here are a few more Romanian Gypsies before I go back to English Churches, painted pews and pictures of dogs. I love the expression of the girl on the right; I think she looks really bright, just the sort of person you’d want looking after your kids.
Really enjoyed our time in Romania and would love to visit other neighbouring countries, Bulgaria, Ukraine, whatever. Will have to sell quite a few chapel chairs first…
Photo with 3 notes
Start of the Romanian Postings
Me and the family went to Romania recently for a road trip. This is a country that makes you realise just how diverse the European Union is. A bit like Azerbaijan being in the Eurovision song contest, one can’t help feeling that it’s a bit of a stretch. I mean, why not Chad as well? Or the Dominican Republic? Anyway, we had a little bit of trepidation at first, after all this a country famous for, in no particular order:
Mistreating Orphans horribly
The worst recent dictator this side of Pol Pot
Gangsters, corruption and criminal Gypsy gangs
The worst drivers in the Western Hemisphere
As it turned out the Romanians are very friendly, hospitable and everyone under the age of 30 speaks English. They do have some shocking drivers though. Never mind people overtaking on blind corners, this is a place where you’d often have people overtaking the people who were overtaking on the blind bends. This might date from the fairly recent time when one bought a license rather than going through the rigmarole of lessons, etc. The poverty was startling at times but at no time did we feel unsafe on the streets apart from the occasional threat from packs of stray dogs. (Top Tip: they are generally OK but be very careful not to wake them if they are asleep).
Of course, being in the church business I had to drag the wife and kids into a few places of worship. This church here is in the Northern village of Vishki, a place where Prince Charles, no less, has ‘property’. He has been quoted as saying he would like ‘ordinary people’ to live a life similar to that of the Vishkians. Having seen the unpaved roads of mud, the pigs chasing the children with the running sores away from the street water pump (indoor taps are a luxury here) and mutilated animals lurching about I’m not sure what this tells us about our future King.
I loved the church. It is possibly my favourite ever in terms of atmosphere and fittings. Approximately 700 years old it used to be the ‘German’ church from when the area was mostly German speaking. (One comes across memorials to the thousands of ethnic Germans who were shipped off by the Russians to be killed by lack of food and overwork. Tit for Tat I suppose.) Note the Gallery benching arrangement where you a) Have to be small to fit and b) have to be careful not to tip over the balcony onto the floor below
Not so belated Christmas Blog
Simon and Margaret Mary, two of our oldest and most helpful customers (if we are ever unsure what particular Saint a statue is supposed to represent we will send them pictures) have sent us photographs of their Nativity figures which they purchased from us just before Christmas. I show them here as a rather lovely example of seasonal decorating. Of course we have a vested interest as suppliers of Nativity sets but I do think showing as well as celebrating the birth of Christ around the 25th of December is not to be sniffed at even as an adjunct to Prince Albert’s jolly German pagan conifers. And for serious old fashioned Catholics, taking down the decorations isn’t an option until 2nd February (Candlemass - Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, 40 days after the birth of Jesus).
Also note the seasonal outfits which Simon and Margaret Mary have clothed their full size Madonna and Child - something that I’ve not seen before.
