Tale of a Rococo Fan,

 

Marie sent me an email of a blurry photo scrap of a fan 🪭 she once admired at an auction.

Being an ardent collector of antique fans 🪭 

A Rococo Christmas letter

For the rest of December you can BUY A SINGLE CHRISTMAS LETTER (Rococo style with your name hand-written on it), the NOV Advent letter or 'Have fun in Paris Noël map. Random Paris goodies will be included in the envelope of course. Bear dragged me over to the very rococo patisserie, MEERT on 3 rue de Jacques Callot 75006 just off rue Mazarine.

Some bears can not get enough Paris pastry. Some bears should be sleeping instead of drooling.

Well let's face it. Just about everyone is leché-vitrine (drooling) at Meert. And Saturdays their special pastries arrive fresh from Lille.

Put one foot inside magical MEERT and its like a time machine. Candies of yore beckon. And jams, biscuits and teas.

Lovely chocolate bears with marshmallow inside.

The packaging is so whimsical you find yourself buying boxes just for their beauty.

Well some people do...

Such eye candy with edible candy inside.

Big enticing jars of jam/confiture call out your name.

And don't forget their famous gaufres. De Gaulle's favorite cookie (delivered to him fresh every Friday). I wanted the yellow box even if I am a bit tired of the color yellow. No way José. You can only get lemon/citron waffle cookies in summer time if you please. Meert has rules and sticks to them assiduously. Perfection does not come wothout a few bumps in the road.

Bear insisted on a Selfie in Meert. Such a teenager...

Bear has been invited to the Nut Cracker suite the day before Christmas. He is thrilled to bits.

With our mutual obsession drawing loops and arabesques, the December letter had to be Rococo. Though first we tried three or four other themes. Adding in the fun tree ornaments from ASTIER DE VILATTE helped. Their boiled egg in a cup is on the letter art if not on my table...see top left.

Well thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. You can get the single December Parisbreakfast letter, map or watercolors in my Etsy shop.

WITH LOVE FROM PARIS! XXX BEAR 🐻❤️

Les Guirlandes

Marie-Antoinette guirlande, 5.5" x 7.5

I learned a new word this Paris trip - Les Guirlandes 

Une guirlande is the same thing as a garland.

Les Guirlande du oiseaux 5.5" x 7.5

When I showed Micha, my growing collection of decorative ornaments from visits to multi-chateaux, she responded, "Les guirlandes!" I had an "Ah ha!" moment.

A floral garland at musee Nissim de Camondo.

And another.

Draping this ornate clock golden garlands.

As well as this teapot.

Usually cupids or putti are supporting floral garlands.

More.

Sculptural putti adorned with flowers.

 Over many doorways throughout Paris - les guirlandes.

 At Versailles

On the walls of the Grand Singerie at chateau de Chantilly.

Why this new obsession with Rococo ornaments, putti and garlands? Because I have reached the hypothetical assumption, if you are surrounded by elaborate design wherever you look, inside or out this has to effect what you create?

There is a long tradition in France of elaborate food and patisserie. But as I learned last night at a lecture by Florence de Dampierre, this is related to cultural changes brought about by the Sun King, Louis XIV.

 Drooling over these divine desserts and think for a moment on their origins and why they spring solely from fantastic pastry artists of France. They most definitely are artistes.

BONNE DROOLING!