The Dowager Lady Violet’s Chinese Foo Dogs

Chinese Ceramic Foo Dogs
Chinese Ceramic Foo Dogs in Lady Violet's Dower House

Lady Violet's Chinese glazed ceramic "Foo Dogs" hint at a traveled past and lend a touch of the exotic in the Dower house. The Foo-dogs do not represent dogs however they are Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lions. Continue reading The Dowager Lady Violet’s Chinese Foo Dogs

Cary Grant at the Hollywood Brown Derby

Cary Grant at the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant
Cary Grant at the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant

Cary Grant was one of a galaxy of movie stars that could be spotted dining at the legendary Hollywood Brown Derby restaurannt on Vine Street. Pictured above sometime during the golden era of Hollywood and the Studio system Cary is enjoying his food from one the willow pattern plates that reminded the diners of home. Cary is also examining the wooden cigarette box made in the shape of a derby hat that was placed on each dining table.

Lady Edith’s Chinese Horse Statues

Chinese Pottery Horses in Lady Edith's London apartment
Chinese Pottery Horses in Lady Edith's London apartment

When Lady Edith brings Bertie Pelham back to her London flat in season 6 of Downton Abbey we could not help noticing a pair of large green Chinese tang pottery horses above the bookshelves.
There are some very similar chinese horse statues on eBay currently. large tang horse Click picture to see it on eBay

Lady Mary: Crystal Perfume Bottle

Crystal glass perfume bottle on Lady Mary Crawley's dressing table
Crystal glass perfume bottle on Lady Mary Crawley's dressing table

I notice a pretty crystal glass perfume decanter bottle on Lady Mary Crawley's dressing table.  I see a range of similar crystal glass perfume bottles on eBay Click HERE for a selection.

So what fragrances might someone like Lady Mary have worn? In her decanter she may have kept natural floral essential oil based toilet waters. 1912, the year in which the Downton Abbey sereies begins, was the year the fragrance L'Heure Bleue or 'the blue hour' was created by Jacques Guerlain. From the House of Caron in Paris came “N’Aimez que Moi” in 1916, and “Tabac Blond” in 1919, 1920 perfumes include Chanel No. 5 which was launched in 1921 and would have been familiar to somebody like Lady Mary Crawley.  Guerlain’s Shalimar, was launched in 1925 and became one of the most popular fragrances of all time. Guerlain’s Shalimar was named after the Gardens of Shalimar in Lahore, Pakistan, which were built for Mumtaz Mahal, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built.