2,752 REST IN PEACE

ANNA-WILI HIGHFIELD

I have just discovered Sydney artist Anna-wili Highfield thanks to this post here and another one here(both from Mandy at 16 HOUSE). Born in 1980 (OK I officially feel old), she is the daughter of a puppeteer and grew up surrounded by creativity. While she sculpts all sorts of creatures with copper pipe, it is her work with paper that most fascinates me. She works mainly by commission and her work has recently been exhibited in the Anthropologie Gallery in New York. Have a look at more of her work here.

Love how she's captured the familiar tilt of a magpie's head.

TODAY IN HISTORY...

1533

Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, is born.

1901

The Boxer Rebellion (quick refresher - Peking under siege by Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, known as the boxers, whose aim was to purge China of foreign merchants and missionaries) in China officially ends with the signing of the Boxer Protocol.

1930

Dagwood and Blondie make their first appearance in the cartoon strip Blondie.

1981

Diana Ross' and Lionel Ritchie's Endless Love tops the US charts.

1986

Desmond Tutu becomes the first black man to lead the Anglican Church in South Africa.

Portrait by Richard Stone

1997

Pat Rafter beats Greg Rusedski in the US Open Final, it was his first Grand Slam win.

Images via Future Tennis Stars, Time Life, Big Little Books & The BBC.

HAVE A SEAT

Catching up on blog reading here, Viera's post on chairs today reminded me of all the fabulous pictures I've filed of the dome or porter's chair. Apparently, this type of chair was placed at the front door in times gone by for a gatekeeper servant who was in charge of screening guests and visitors. Because there were often cold breezes near a front door the chair was designed to envelop and keep the servant relatively warm.

A Louis XVI style porter chair from Interior Crafts.

A pair of porter chairs in a private Californian home.

In silk from Carter Brown Interiors.

An original porter chair from 1827 is housed in the Bank of England Museum.

In my opinion, no one does this style of chair better than Kelly Wearstler.

In the lounge of the cafe at Bergdorf Goodman.

The BG Resteraunt in Bergdorf Goodman.

In a larger, house with higher ceilings and more space I am definitely going to do one of these one day.

Images from Harpers Bazaar, Kelly Wearstler, Bank of England & Carter Brown Interiors.