Saturday 21 July 2012

A Ceramic Footrest

This adorable footrest is in Fern Bedaux's bedroom at Candé. We have a soft spot for mini dachshunds (or teckels, as they are called in France). In London we were aunty and uncle to sisters Tiger and Sponge, and got to look after them sometimes when their doting owners were on holiday or away on business.

The docent told me that Fern didn't actually use it as a footrest, but to hold the pages of books open.

If you are interested in Fern Bedaux (if you know her name at all, it will probably be as the hostess of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's wedding) there is a well researched blog post here. She was a fascinating person, full of unexpected redeeming features and contradictions. Wallis Simpson liked her, and I doubt you could say that about many women, although I'm not sure if it is necessarily a positive attribute.

Susan

6 comments:

Sheila said...

Thank you, thank you, Susan, for
that. Have now added Little Augury
to my Favorites list. Looks as
though there are many fascinating
people to read about. Lucky you
being able to visit Cande.

melinda said...

i have a friend visiting from Louisiana cajun country who has a mini doxie named Saucisse

Susan said...

Sheila: isn't Little Augury fabulous? As a friend said to me after LA did a profile of him - 'outrageously stream of consciousness, but so generous...'

Melinda: Perfect!

Emm said...

Fascinating, thank you. And they both ended at Mount Auburn Cemetery, which is on the outskirts of Boston? Curious.

Simon said...

Emm - that was the plan, but they in the family plot at Windsor.

Susan said...

Just to clarify - according to Little Augury Charles and Fern Bedaux were buried at Mount Auburn. Simon tells me that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (aka Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson) are buried at Windsor.

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