Objects for Two French Children of the 18th Century

Charles Phillip (Charles X) six years old, and his sister, Mme. Clotilde, four years old
Painting by Francois Hubert Drouais, 1767

I encountered this painting. What would delight these two children, I wondered?

A Jewelry Box for Marie Clotilde



Box Construction - 12 1/2 x 8 1/4 x 4 1/4 - C. Andrako 1989



Some of the jewelry belonged to my grandmother, some is mine. I made the Crown.

 .

Drawers are tea-dyed muslin with shredded satin ribbons and are scented with roses.

 for Charles Phillip (Charles X)

Box Construction - 8 3/4 x 6 3/4 x 3 1/2

Black lacquer and antique ribbon, marbled paper on back

C. Andrako - 1989

Handmade book of velvet, antique ribbon, net, pages from old books, chain, marbled paper

Each sentence is on a seperate page.

Le Dauphin dans le Jardin

The ground began to rumble and the Prince's life flashed before his eyes.

As he ran through the garden a pillar loosened itself from the earth and toppled towards him.

With two fingers he grasped the staff that only moments before she had tied her ribbon to.

He could not go back for her now.

He would never be able to find her in the veil of darkness that now covered the land.

Would she know where to hide?

On he ran as the garden walls crumbled around him.

And then he heard her.

She was calling his name.

Art and Photographs - (c) C. Andrako 1989, 2011 All Rights Reserved.





Chocolate Game

Chocolate Game - Box Construction - 1988 - 10 1/2 x 7 1/4 x 3

At the back of the grocery store of my childhood stood a captivating display case filled with 1lb. boxes of chocolates. In the uppermost part, a glass vitrine housed a showy display of the contents of the boxes all rendered in a most convincing plastic or rubber. You never doubted that this one had nuts, or that one a creamy center. They were lined up neatly in alternating rows of light and dark chocolate, each one snug in its own ruffled cup. I thought it was ravishing.

This box came to me in a dream. No doubt the memory was fully alive in my subconscious.

I had to eat 14 small boxes of truffles to acquire enough gold embossed paper to line the compartments.

A note about the Huyler's advertising card:

John S. Huyler was born in NYC in 1846, the son of a bakery owner whose shop was on Jane St. in Greenwich Village. The family lived above the shop. John opened his own shop in 1874 at 18th and Broadway selling ice cream and candy. His candy factory was on 18th and Irving Place. Stores in Brooklyn and Albany soon followed. He eventually had 54 stores across America and 14 chocolate factories. In 1883, Milton Hershey became an employee and two years later returned to Lancaster, Pa. to start Hershey's.

(c) C. Andrako 2011 All Rights Reserved

The Missing Bead



Box Construction 12x17x5 - C. Andrako 1988

Ballet was my first real passion...particularly the ballets of the Romantic era. I was trained in the 19th century style of August Bournonville under the direction of Phyllis Papa, the first American to become a member of the Royal Danish Ballet, and I performed in her company for many years. This box, with a cut-out of ballerina Marie Taglioni (1804-1884), was my tribute to her.  



Marie Taglioni emerges from a large frame in the role of her rival, Fanny Elssler in "The Artist's Dream". This diva-like behavior was unintentional. I saw the original etching and liked the idea of the dancer stepping through the frame; it wasn't until later that I realized it was Fanny. They were great rivals, but stylistically very different dancers.

I purposely omitted a bead in one of the configurations on her skirt in memory of the time Phyllis tore a snowflake spangle from her costume and gave it to me before going on stage. I was nine then, and I carried it in my wallet for many years.  




Marie Taglioni

The English critic Chorley wrote : "If Mlle. Taglioni flew, she {Elssler} flashed. The one floated onto the stage like a nymph, the other showered every sparkling fascination around her like a sorceress."

 

Fanny Elssler

Theophile Gautier: "She {Elssler} is the dancer for men as Mlle. Taglioni is the dancer for women."



Back of Box - Sheet Music - Chopin



Cast of Chopin's Hand

Frederic Chopin composed "Les Sylphides", a ballet I performed many times with Phyllis' company. It premiered at Theatre du Chatelet, Paris in 1909.

Marie Taglioni performed the ballet 'La Sylphide'. It was choreographed by her father, Filippo in 1832, with music by Schneitshoeffer which was then choreographed anew by Bournonville in 1836 with music by Lovenskiold.



Frederic Chopin



Phyllis Papa - My teacher and mentor

This was the first box I created.

Photo credits - (c) C. Andrako photos 2010 All Rights Reserved

Chopin's hand and Chopin - via Wiki

Phyllis Papa - Stars of American Ballet