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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Technicolor Mary and the Shirley Temple Jesus

I have been obsessed with this Our Lady of the Rosary piece for about a year now. It is being sold at GasLamp Antiques in Nashville, a client of mine, by Linda Dorland, who has incredibly eclectic tastes. 
It is a confection of yummy iconographic goodness, from the vivid Technicolor palette to the convex shape of the glass. And the shell frame is the kicker. I don't know the provenance of this item, but I think a good guess would be Venice. It just seems so Venetian to me. Well, it's $165, which I think is a fair price, but since I don't have a palazzo near Piazza San Marco, I have to pass. For now ... 
And can we just talk for a moment about Mary? She's not sad, tragic, or pious. No, none of that business for this Mary. She's a real glamour puss, this gal. Check out her pearl earrings, the pearl rosary (with a sapphire drop, natch), the pearly stars floating around her head. This Mary looks like something out of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I think after she gets done with being adored on the throne, she's heading over to Cole Porter's to kick back a few sidecars and dance the Charleston (along with Baby Jesus, who looks like Shirley Temple). Seriously. Bust out the good crystal, Cole, Mary's swinging by. Yes, that's this Mary.

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