Textiles
Art of Living Well – Antiquity to a Residence Australia
Today our art of living well has evolved since antiquity in Europe to a residence in Australia through a diverse and special mix of peoples and their cultures.
Stylist Jo Bayley, Fashion Editor The Culture Concept Circle
Stylist Jo Bayley Fashion Editor at The Culture Concept Circle believes anyone can be fabulous armed with the right tools shoes, hot dress and iconic handbag
My Interiors – Design Convenient and Pleasant to the Eye
There are no boundaries and no rules really when it comes to designing interiors, only guidelines that should always remain both flexible and practical. And, if it is for yourself, then its decoration must come from the heart.
Chinoiserie – Pavilions, Porcelains and Passionate Pursuits
By the eighteenth century in Europe and England all things Chinese had assumed incredible proportions as fashionable society sought to transmit their ideas about the magical land of Cathay through a multiplicity of imagery.
Men in Vogue – Downton Abbey to Draper & Clooney to Caffrey
Men of style who are in Vogue have always looked ‘sharp’ and sensational. As my daughter in law would say, wow, they are sure eye candy on a massive scale.
Peabody Essex Museum at Salem – Opening Windows on the World
A connoisseur, scholar and devout Buddhist, within the forbidden city Chinese Emperor Qianlong created a luxurious garden compound to serve throughout his retirement as a secluded place of contemplation, repose and entertainment. When the city was shut down following the Chinese revolution of 1911 – 1912 many of its treasures gathered dust for a century. Now, through a great deal of international cooperation and negotiation they have been conserved and sent on tour.
The Culture Concept Circle – You Tube Channel
On our You Tube Channel you will find our mini-documentaries, which provide an insight into the evolution of art, design, music, fashion and style.
The Bed – Sleeping Stylishly in the Chamber of Love
We spend at least one third of our lives in bed. Every culture is steeped in customs superstitions and folklore surrounding this unique piece of furniture. But what about the bedroom? When did the bed gain a room of its own? How was it decorated? Where can we begin to relate its story?
Notebooks by Betty Churcher – My Favourite Book 2011
Having been an avid, voracious reader of all types of texts since I was a very small child today, in reality, it takes a lot to get me excited about a book. I have read many of the classics, lots of classic novels, masses of thriller fiction works and non-fiction works, including autobiographies, biographies, books [...]
French Country Style – Provence tres chic ‘indiennes’
Among the cargoes brought into the port of Marseilles in Provence during the mid seventeenth century by the Compagnie des Indes Orientales were desirable cotton prints from India. They consisted of dazzling patterns and striking colours, which captured the imagination.
What is an Antique?
An antique is something made in a previous era. However, according to antique dealers, their associations and the tax man, it is not really that simple at all.
Raphael – Weaving Tapestry Magic for the Sistine Chapel
The Raphael Cartoons were made up of a mosaic of hundreds of sheets of paper glued together and then fixed to the wall. Raphael and his assistants would have painted them before they were transported to Brussels to Pietr Van Aelst’s studio, where they would have been cut up into strips for use by the tapestry weavers.
Trio of Boutique Style Museums – At Sydney, Paris and London
My favourite trio of boutique style small museums offer a unique experience to the visitor. All are in amazing locations with collections that cover epochs of history from antiquity to the nineteenth century in Europe. The advantage of this type of Museum is you can get up close and personal with very classy collections. And, the bonus is they all offer a special view and perspective on, and of the art and history of man.
The Rococo Style – Sophisticated and Yet Enchantingly Pretty
The Rococo style was delicately elegant with a distinct preference for asymmetry. It was presided over by France’s King Louis XV’s mistress, Madame du Pompadour, a sophisticated lady of impeccable style.
The Lady and the Unicorn and ‘Millefleurs’ Style Tapestries
In the late medieval period of the fifteenth century the now famous millefleurs tapestries first appear characterized by their backgrounds made of hundreds of tiny flowers. The most well known in this style are known as La Dame รก la Licorne, or the Lady & the Unicorn. A group of six tapestries they are woven from a combination of woolen, silk and gold thread and have exercised an almost universal fascination on all those who have encountered them for hundreds of years.
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Harmony of Courtly Love
From the 11th to the 13th century in England and Europe expressing personal feelings in relation to the beauty and bountiful joys of women became the province of troubadours, who were both composers and performers of lyrical poetry set to romantic music. They roved about the countryside visiting castles and their communities to deliver the latest ditties going about in song. The themes they favoured the most were those of chivalry and courtly love.
Asides
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