Christina here. During the Christmas holidays I’ve had a chance to relax a bit and do things I don’t normally have time for. One of them is to leaf through some of the many coffee table books I own – and I have to admit there are rather a lot of them!
I’m not sure why I have so many. They’re not exactly necessary and yet seem to accrue of their own accord. Many of them are from exhibitions I’ve attended, especially those of my favourite artists, while others are on subjects close to my heart. I’m never quite sure why I buy them as I don’t usually read them – I’ll only flick through the pages to look at the photos. Admittedly, most of them do have gorgeous pictures!
Today I thought I’d tell you about a few of the ones I love best, the ones I keep returning to and never tire of looking at, and why. Then I’d love for you to tell me about yours! (Even if that means my collection grows larger as you tempt me …)
My absolute favourite is The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball by Sophia Murphy. On 2nd July 1897 the then Duchess of Devonshire held a fancy dress ball in her London mansion in Piccadilly, Devonshire House. It was a glittering occasion and a very special ball, but what made it unique is that the duchess had all her guests photographed as they arrived and then had the pictures put into a privately printed album for herself. The costumes are out of this world, and some of them must have cost an absolute fortune. Some of the guests look ridiculous, others uncomfortable, and one can only wonder how they managed to dance all night in their finery. For me, the guest that stood out the most was the Duchess of Portland who was so beautiful, she would have looked regal in a sack. I can readily imagine her as the heroine of a romantic novel as she must have had suitors in droves!
Queen Mary’s Doll’s House by Mary Stewart-Wilson – Those of you who have visited Windsor Castle will have come across this treasure and it’s definitely the most incredible doll’s house I’ve ever seen! Created for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, in 1923-24, it was an astonishing collaboration by hundreds of craftsmen. The queen loved miniature objects and her family asked Sir Edward Lutyens, a famous architect, to design the doll’s house for her and he did so enthusiastically. As the author says “No detail was to be considered too trivial or unimportant; from the attic to the cellar, the house was to be a national treasure …” And I think we can safely say he succeeded. There is even a library with properly bound and miniature books – fascinating! If you can’t go and see it in person, this book is the next best thing.
Fabergé Imperial Jeweller – Geza von Habsburg and Marina Lopato – This is the companion book to an exhibition I saw at the Victoria & Albert Museum and I think I can safely say it was the most amazing one I have ever been to. Showcasing not only the famous eggs, but all the other fabulous items this jewellery firm created for their wealthy patrons, it was simply stunning. I never tire of looking at these photos and my absolute favourite item of the collection was an egg made up of a mosaic of gold, platinum and all manner of gemstones. Breath-taking!
Another stunning jewellery exhibition at the V & A featured tiaras, and the book Tiaras – A History of Splendour by Geoffrey C. Munn showcases all the glittering examples that were featured and the women who wore them. I’m a sucker for “bling” and especially antique jewellery, so seeing these was an absolute delight and looking through the photos in this book reminds of that.
Continuing the jewellery theme, I have to also mention The Cheapside Hoard – London’s Lost Jewels by Hazel Forsyth. Yet another exhibition I attended, about a fascinating hoard of jewellery that was found in Cheapside which is apparently “the most important source of our knowledge of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery” and the greatest hoard of its kind. The items I saw were definitely unique and very beautiful, so it’s lovely to have a reminder of that.
The English Dog at Home by Felicity Wigan – I think you’ve all gathered by now that I adore dogs and this is a fun book about some famous owners and their pets. From the Queen’s corgis to a bull terrier named Lambchop (which always makes me laugh), to the Irish wolfhound who is the Regimental Mascot of the Irish Guards, there are some lovely stories in this book.
I have coffee table books about lots of different artists, but Anthony van Dyck by Christopher Brown and Hans Vlieghe is the one I return to again and again. It was the book produced for a large Van Dyck exhibition held in London some years ago now. He is my all-time favourite artist and I absolutely adore all his paintings, so I can sit and look at these for hours. This is a very comprehensive book with gorgeous illustrations of all his most famous paintings and I feel very lucky to have seen them in real life.
Japanese Accents in Western Interiors by Peggy Landers Roo/Jean Mahoney, and A Japanese Touch for your Home by Koji Yagi are two books I love to leaf through whenever I’m in a decorating mood. I have lots of objects I picked up when I lived in the Far East, and books like these have some great suggestions for how to incorporate them in a room’s décor. Just a few exotic touches can really transform a room!
Kimono – Kyoto to Catwalk (edited by Anna Jackson) – this was the book accompanying the fabulous kimono exhibition I saw at the V & A museum a while back (see blog post here). There were so many gorgeous kimonos that at the time it was almost overwhelming and impossible to take it all in during a single visit. Having this book to refresh my memory and study the beautiful designs in more detail is perfect.
I could go on but I won't.
Now please do tell me what’s on your coffee tables and which books you return to over and over again!
