PREMIER Life & Legacy Talismans of the Marie Antoinette of Pre-War Paris & A Pioneer for Women's Professional Independence | Transformative Success & Ingenuity, Enduring Prosperity
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
This offering consists of two stunning antique pieces. There is a small candlestick holder, featuring the beautiful enamelwork technique known as champlevé. Involving vitreous enamel glass powders being positioned on metal to make detailed designs, champlevé starts as a single piece of metal that is carved, stamped or cast to create depressions that can be filled with enamel powder. This often needed to be repeated multiple times. After it’s fired, the piece is buffed and polished to create a smooth surface. It is a tedious craft that is scarcely used today unfortunately, but history has shown it to withstand the test of time exceptionally well. This small piece is in excellent condition for being over a century old. It truly is a beautiful piece. They certainly do not make things like they used to anymore!
The other piece within this offering is an extravagantly detailed small box, often called a pill box. Golden in color, it is likely made of bronze/brass, and features a beauty of a glass gem atop the lid in a luscious, deep ruby red. The sides of the box, as well as it’s underside, are elaborately detailed in chased designs, something which would have taken the most skilled of artisans many hours to complete. Although one can see this piece was loved and used over time, it is still in great shape for it’s age & the top being glass. There are signs of use & age, which adds such character.
Both are exceptional treasures, well worth their antique & occult value.
KNOWN HISTORY
As profound in their nature as their provenance, I am incredibly honored to present to you an extremely special offering; a pair, which are truly meant to go hand in hand, just as their bearers did in life.
This is certainly meant for the serious collector, one who will respect the eternal pairing of these two pieces, as truly they are dynamic together, as you will see. Whether you keep both yourself, or give one to your soulmate, as long as they remain paired, that is what matters.
For your consideration today is an impressive pair of talismans, the personal lifelong talismans of the proclaimed Marie Antoinette of the US, Elsie De Wolfe, & that of Elisabeth Marbury.
These beautifully magickal pieces bring their bearer transformative success & ingenuity; creative originality & enduring prosperity, to the point of which even after the bearer has passed from this life, their legacy remains.
This is magick which changes lives; not only that of your own, but on a grander scale - making changes which can, and have, literally transformed societal norms and not only opened doors for women's rights and cultural advancements within society and the workplace, but created doors that did not previously exist!
For the life & legacy of Elsie De Wolfe & Elisabeth Marbury, it is with pride & honor that I am able to offer these as a pair to one, very special client.
Elsie de Wolfe (Ella Anderson de Wolfe), was born December 20, 1865 in New York, New York. Born into a middle/upper middle class family, her father was a doctor, however, he took some wild risks, so they were pretty much on the social outskirts.
De Wolfe was educated privately in New York & in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she lived with maternal relatives. After her return to New York in 1884 she became a devotee of amateur theatricals, which was a popular form of charitable fund raising at the time. After her father’s death in 1890, which left the family in quite a financial state of stress, she turned to the professional stage.
It was Elsie’s dive into acting that paired her with Elisabeth Marbury.
A theatrical agent who would go on to be not only Elsie's closest friend, but her lifelong love, Elisabeth, aka Bessie Marbury was born & raised in the affluent, cultured home of one of 19thC New York society's oldest & most prominent families.
Coming from such a family, it is of little surprise for those who understand, that Marbury was exposed to Magick from a young age. This is how she came to use Magick for her career, to both distance herself from other’s perceptions of her that were based upon her family name, whilst simultaneously using it to cleave her professional path as an independent, strong woman in a male dominated field.
And so, it was with this beautiful champlevé talisman, acquired from family connections, that Marbury both used & defied her family nane to not only establish herself as a professional literary & theatrical talent agent, but to pave the way defining & creating these very professions as they emerged in the new world of mass production, advertising & popular culture in post-Civil War American society.
Marbury had many high profile clients such as the French Academy of Letters, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, the dance team of Vernon and Irene Castle, etc. And, it was Marbury who played an instrumental role in developing the “Book Musical”, which audiences came to know as “Broadway”.
Needless to say, Elisabeth Marbury helped shape an entire facet of our culture that did not exist prior to her using this Talisman.
When Elsie & Elisabeth first met in the late 1880’s & leased a house together in 1892, de Wolfe was still new in establishing her acting career, & Marbury was establishing her career as a theatrical & literary agent & producer.
This was extremely significant, being in a lesbian relationship, in a male dominated field during a time where the world was far from being accepting of anything other than hetero relationships.
In 1891, Elsie made her debut, toured with the production for 2 years, & became a regular member of Frohman’s company in 1894. As time passes though, it became clear that audiences we’re more interested in her wardrobe than her acting, which, naturally, was discouraging. Nonetheless, tickets still sold, even if a good lot of them were for reasons of fashion & aesthetics.
And thus, in 1899, in the bohemian scene of the late Victorian theatre life, the turn of the century, that Magick was introduced into Elsie’s life.
Elsie had always been aware of Elizabeth’s talisman, but at the time she saw it as a sort of “good luck charm”; Elizabeth’s rituals with it she viewed more as a superstitious kind of habit. It wasn’t until Elsie began seeing the magick of it transpire before her that she realized just how vastly she had underestimated it.
Once Elsie had come to truly understand, she wanted a talisman for herself, naturally. And, naturally, Marbury used her connections in order for Elsie to obtain it.
It wasn’t long before things took off for Elsie. She formed her own company in 1901, presenting Clyde Fitch’s The Way of the World on Broadway in a 2 year tour. However, again, Elsie came to receive more recognition & acknowledgement for her wardrobe than her acting, & she retired from the stage in 1905 at the age of 40.
At first, she was a bit discouraged. But, Elisabeth having watched her family’s experiences with magickals growing up, urged her to trust in what was unfolding. Trusting Elisabeth more than anyone else on Earth, Elsie’s discouragement turned into intrigue & excitement.
It was then, in her 40’s, that Elsie fully embraced her keen eye for aesthetics, taking up decorating houses. Little did she realize that this career would not only make her name remembered in legacy, but that it would transform the entire landscape of the traditional American home.
First, Elsie redesigned her own quarters, the Villa Trianon in the Versailles district of Paris, and The Colony Club in New York, a female member's club, which would not only skyrocket her reputation & reinvent the Victorian aesthetic, but it would cement her legacy as the pioneer of Interior Design as a profession.
Elsie was most proud of Villa Trianon. She held court there, just as Marie Antoinette held court at the mini-palace that is “Petit Trianon” just next door.
“How many, many times we peeped through the high iron railing at this enchanted domain, sleeping like the castle in the fairy tale. The garden was overgrown with weeds and shrubbery, the house was shabby and sadly in need of paint. We sighed and thought how happy would be our fortune if we might some day penetrate the mysteries of the tangled garden and the abandoned villa. Little did we dream that this would one day be our home.”
- Elsie De Wolfe
This would remain her pride & joy throughout her life
“If I have done anything really fine, it is the Villa Trianon. Into it has gone not only the best of my knowledge but the best that I have to give as a hostess whose dearest wish is to make her friends happy and at home.”
- Elsie De Wolfe
Elsie did away with the strict, dark Victorian aesthetic, adding life to tired buildings with light, open spaces & soft, comfortable upholstery. She had a distinct eye for bringing the outdoors, in, bringing the feel of nature into the home.
“I opened the doors and windows of America, and let the air and sunshine in”
- Elsie De Wolfe
Inspired by the 18th Century French aesthetic, Elsie brought a delicate, natural touch of femininity to the male-dominated world. She took ambitious projects on both sides of the Atlantic, during a decade where it took eight days to travel from New York to France. Her clients reached nearly every one of the highest ranking families in social status (and wealth) like the Morgans & the Vanderbilts. The New York Times described de Wolfe as “one of the most widely known women in New York social life,” & later as one of the most prominent in Paris society.
With all of this fame & wealth, Elsie did something which came as a major surprise to everyone – she married Sir Charles Simon Mendl, a British diplomat & actor who has been described as "one of the most colourful figures in the diplomatic & social life of Paris".
To the rest of the world, the pair appeared to have married primarily for social amenities, as, they lived separately, & everyone knew Elsie & Elisabeth Marbury had long been in a relationship. Elsie & Charles Mendl entertained together, Elsie could be addressed as “Lady De Wolfe”, & she gave Mendl a monthly allowance. So, to most it seemed like a mutual exchange of social amenities & nothing more than that. Even in 1935, when de Wolfe published her autobiography, she didn’t mention her husband in it.
However, there was much more to this exchange of amenities than what the public knew. Mendl had connections within the government, the secret service (who funded his salary sometimes over the years), amongst others. But, that’s an entire story in and of itself & not really relevant to these talismans.
Elsie continued on living her best life. It is said that “Elsie de Wolfe’s Paris was a magic era.” In 1935, Paris experts named her the best-dressed woman in the world, noting that she wore what suited her best, regardless of fashion.
Throughout all of it, Villa Trianon was her favorite place to stay, her sanctuary.
It was at Villa Trianon that Elsie could throw one heck of a party. In fact, Elsie was renowned for throwing extravagant, legendary parties, with her ability to, as the Duchess of Windsor once said, “mix people like a cocktail.”
Her most famous gatherings were undoubtedly the Circus Balls of 1938 and 1939, attended by the crème of high society. Elsie decorated her home lavishly with extravagant canopies, garlands & hired an actual circus complete with animals & acrobats alike.
For many, these parties also marked the end of the indulgent, high-rolling 20s & 30s in pre-war America, something that can also be said of her designs.
It was in Versailles at Villa Trianon, that Elsie hosted the very last great Parisian party before World War II. Her guests included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Rothschilds, & Coco Chanel, just to name-drop a few.
Villa Trianon was Elsie & Elizabeth’s “baby”, so-to-speak. It was Elsie’s most loved pride & joy of all of her work, so the fact that the “the last grand gesture of gaiety and frivolity before the storm” was held there, & the fact that it marked the end of such a glorious era, truly seems befitting, don’t you think? It was in 1939, at the age of 81 years-old, & Elsie proved she was still the “hostess with the mostest”. All of Paris wanted to be on Elsie’s guest list for her second annual circus ball.
Despite the shadowy threat of Hitler’s army across Europe, late 1930s Paris was determined to amuse itself, & Elsie made the perfect ringmaster. Villa Trianon’s great lawn transformed into a circus ring, a circus tent bar was built around one of the enormous oak trees in the garden, & the guest list was, true to Elsie’s usual, quite the controversial mashup of Hollywood stars, royals, exiled royals, ambassadors, bloodline heirs (i.e. Rothschilds), & American expats.
One thing they all shared in common for a night was drinking copious amounts of “Pink Lady” cocktails until the sun came up – which was Elsie’s recipe, of course!
Now, despite the focus on aesthetic & appearances, & her taste for hosting exquisite parties, her life was not lived from a place of superficiality, not did she pursue what she did from a place of greed, or a desire to control others. Elsie sought what we all do – happiness & health.
She promoted a semi-vegetarian diet & her morning exercises in themselves were famous. Had Instagram been around back then, she certainly would have been up there with Ariana Grande & Selena Gomez in followers, honestly.
In terms of diet, she promoted fresh fish, shellfish, oysters & veggies – ideally homegrown & organic. In her later years she embraced a fully vegetarian diet, supervised by nutritionist Gayelord Hauser, who said that the “fabulous Lady Mendl, Elsie de Wolfe Mendl, was a good friend and faithful student of nutrition, of whom I am very proud.”
In her memoir, de Wolfe wrote that at age 70, her daily exercise routine included yoga, standing on her head, & walking on her hands:
“I have a regular exercise routine founded on the Yogi method, introduced to me by Anne Vanderbilt and her daughter, Princess Murat. I stand on my head [and] I can turn cart wheels. Or I walk upside-down on my hands.”
(Walking on her hands at 70! I could barely manage the strength, balance & coordination even as a preteen in gymnastics class!)
Elsie & Elisabeth certainly lived lives filled with happy memories & lasting legacies. From late Victorian period New York, these two women not only made careers for themselves, both defied society’s rules & expectations for women by becoming absolutely remarkable pioneers of industries THEY created, & helped pave the way for many other women that followed, both in the previously frowned upon world of professional theater as well as independent careers. On top of this, they also normalized financial autonomy for women in general! The fact that their lesbian relationship was also an open secret that everyone knew truly defied all expectations & norms – for the better!
This…this is the kind of Magick & power these talismans hold. The power to open doors of opportunity for yourself, and to create new doors which don't even exist yet!
Just imagine what you can accomplish, what sort of social norms you can change, what doors you can open up not only for yourself, but those who come after you – doors that will never come to exist in the future without you first creating them.
Now, to use these pieces, the rituals are very, very simple. They will be emailed to the client who chooses to bring these talismans into their life. They involve no more than paper, pen, & a candle.
This is an extraordinary opportunity, one which we are extremely honored & excited to offer.