Memo from J-P
For this page of oldquimper.com, we give the floor to Jean-Pierre, who serves as the CFO (Chief Feline Officer) of The Meadows Collection. Appointed to that position in 2007, he has gamely agreed to attempt the daunting task of taking over the duties previously fulfilled by the late, but ever-present-in-our-hearts, Porquier-Beau...whose image continues to grace the upper left corner of this link.
Jean-Pierre is thirteen-years-old, which translates to sixty-eight in human years. He is still very young-at-heart and so full of enthusiasm that he has bravely stepped up to the plate.
It is with great pleasure that we pass along the latest Memo from J-P:
Greetings to all.
First a little bit about me:
Jean-Pierre is thirteen-years-old, which translates to sixty-eight in human years. He is still very young-at-heart and so full of enthusiasm that he has bravely stepped up to the plate.
It is with great pleasure that we pass along the latest Memo from J-P:
Greetings to all.
First a little bit about me:
I was born in Paris and am thoroughly français despite paperwork that lists me as being a chat de la fôret norvégienne (Norwegian Forest Cat). My full name is Châtelain Jean-Pierre. Châtelain because being born in 2007... December 21, 2007 to be precise...means that in accordance with French regulations, my name must begin with the letter 'c'. Those born in 2008 have names that begin with a 'd', those born in 2009 have names beginning with the letter 'e' and so on.
Châtelain is a French term from the Middle Ages used to distinguish the seigneur or lord of the manor. We live in Quimper now, so it's more like lord of the apartment...but the important part is that I rule the roost, so to speak. Jean is in reference to Jean-Baptiste Bousquet who settled in Quimper in 1699 and Pierre is in honor of his son, Pierre Bousquet, who in 1708 founded Quimper's first modern -day pottery factory.
Châtelain is a French term from the Middle Ages used to distinguish the seigneur or lord of the manor. We live in Quimper now, so it's more like lord of the apartment...but the important part is that I rule the roost, so to speak. Jean is in reference to Jean-Baptiste Bousquet who settled in Quimper in 1699 and Pierre is in honor of his son, Pierre Bousquet, who in 1708 founded Quimper's first modern -day pottery factory.
Every once in a while I like to put the spotlight on a specific topic…it might be an unusual example of Quimper pottery or perhaps a further look at a place or structure…something that I feel will further your enjoyment of French faïence.
And then sometimes I take this opportunity to share with you some of our adventures in Quimper...because one of the results of being so gab-smacked enamored of Quimper pottery has led to the inevitable and now we live in Quimper...right in the middle of Old Town !
I'm an indoor cat, but I do see a lot from our windows and the folks are always up for an adventure. Here's a quick rundown of what we were up to last month...it will give you a bit of a taste of the sights and sounds of living in Quimper.
Some of you may remember that I mentioned in a previous issue that Mom had served as an expert during the annual appraisal days at the Musée de la Faïence and that one of the items found this past summer was a small Quimper figure of Napoléon.
That sparked interest in going to Paris to check out a special exhibition commemorating the death of Napoléon 200 years ago this year.
So, the folks hopped on a train...
No, that's not me in that backpack...I opted to stay home this time since they were just going for the day. A bit too hectic for my taste.
But by all accounts, they felt it was worth the early morning scramble to the train station, followed by the midnight crawl back home. In between, they visited old haunts...
From their former lair on the Ïle-Saint-Louis, they used to walk past Notre Dame de Paris every day to cross the bridge to the "mainland" for their daily bread. The island is famous for being a step back in time...a 17th century time-warp with no métro station, etc. , but there is a bakery. However no one in our building would frequent it because the owner had the audacity to get upset because our neighbor's golden retriever liked to press her moisture-laden nose on the windows of the bakery. So the folks would stroll past the cathedral every day to get their bread.
To see it again after the horrific fire was a bit gut-wrenching, but now that the building is finally stabilised, re-construction can begin. The ambitious goal is for Notre Dame de Paris to be able to host services in 2024.
A good walk around the area to see what was the same and what had changed and then they were off to the exhibition.
It was quite comprehensive...
...with all genre of art and artefacts related to Napoléon Bonaparte, from his 1769 birth in Ajaccio to his death in exile on the island of Saint-Helena in 1821. He was just shy of 52 years.
Here are a few of the highlights...
Here are a few of the highlights...
The actual desk and books used by Napoléon while at military school in Brienne...in the Burgundy region, not far from Troyes. He studied there from 1779-1784 before transferring to the École Militaire in Paris.
There were many displays and items related to his military exploits, including the actual tent and furnishings used by Napoléon during his numerous military campaigns.
The tent, the bed and the other furniture all folded for easy transporting from battle site to battle site.
Napoléon Crossing the Alps...Napoléon franchissant le Grand-Saint-Bernard...was painted by Jacques Louis David in the first years of the 19th century when Napoleon was Premier Consul. Intended as propaganda, David painted five different versions of a dashingly-dressed Napoleon astride Marengo, his favorite horse. Truth be told, Napoleon navigated the treacherous mountain pass wearing a water-proofed hat and a more subdued uniform of blue and grey...and he did so riding a mule.
Striking a similar pose, the HB pottery produced faïence publicity figures for Courvoisier...a brand of cognac that legend has it was Napoléon's drink of choice while exiled in Saint-Helena.
Glory days were illustrated with glittering uniforms...
...a glamorous coach...
...and an opulent table setting of Sevres porcelain hand-painted with scenes of successful military campaigns.
When you want your tea to go.
His love life was also chronicled...
This elegant embroidered swath of red velvet...
...belonged to his first wife, Josephine...
...and Napoléon's second wife, Marie-Thérèse of Austria...
...was represented, shown here holding their son, the King of Rome. The elaborate baby cradle depicted in the painting was displayed as part of the exhibition as well.
A coat and hat worn in Saint-Helena...
...set the stage for the final phase of the exhibition...
...transcribing his final wishes...
He died on May 5, 1821.
There was just enough time after the exhibition to take a peek at the newly re-opened Samaritaine department store. For the first few months after I was adopted, we lived in an apartment where you could see Samaritaine out the window. The folks could tell if it was going to be cold based on which way the flags atop the building were blowing. If the wind is coming from Strasbourg, better get a heavier scarf.
Samaritaine...shown here right of center.. was built in 1870 as the epitome of high-style both in its architecture and in the merchandise for sale within its several floors of boutique-like displays.
It closed in 2005 for extensive re-modelling and just reopened a few month ago. The first thing that Mom looked at...a bag that she thought might work for carrying her knitting when it rained turned out to be 950 euros, so after that, the emphasis was on enjoying the architecture...
Looking up from the street level...
...up one floor...
...and then up another...
...a dizzying look down...
...crowned with colorful murals and ironwork in keeping with Samaritaine's art nouveau-infused history.
That's my memo for this month; I hope you enjoy my sharing our adventures in Quimper!