Powerhouse Museum © all rights reserved
Horse racing and fashion have always been closely associated and with Melbourne Cup upon us I had a look for “Horse Racing Fashion” in our databaase. One item is this bright floral dress made by Gucci around 1970. Gucci had a strong association with horses, starting out as he did with a small family owned saddlery shop.
Guccio Gucci (1881-1953), began his career in 1920 when he opened a saddlery business in Florence, Italy. Using equestrian motifs as an inspiration, Guccio established the House of Gucci and opened his first fashion boutique in 1921. During his lifetime, Gucci introduced many of the designs for which the company has become known, such as the bamboo handle handbag and the suede moccasin with a metal bit. After his death in 1953, Gucci’s sons continued to expand the company overseas, using their father’s initials to establish the famous GG logo. Although now under the direction of new designers, The House of Gucci remains the best selling Italian brand, and certainly one of the most easily recognisable brands in the world.
You can really see the equestrian influence in the buttons which show not only the horse shoe but an accurate representation of a horse’s foot as well.
Horse hoof button
Powerhouse Museum © all rights reserved
Lynne McNairn
Registrar
Photography © Powerhouse Museum, all rights reserved.
Dust has been headline news recently with the dramatic dust storm over Sydney. This reminded me of an object in our collection literally made of dust! It is a necklace called ‘Illusion dust’ made by Japanese jewellery maker Teruo Akatsu in 1993.
Akatsu says of his work -
I aim to transform ‘negative’ jewellery into positive existence by accumulating dust over it. The use of dust is suggestive of the passing and accumulation of time. I collect dust from everyday places and thread it on to stainless-steel wires or incorporate it into sheets of material. The colours and nature of the dust play an important part in my jewellery making.
The general conception of jewellery is focussed on the fact that it adorns the body. However, this kind of understanding limits appreciation of my kind of jewellery. If we look at jewellery in terms of the relationship between the body and its surroundings, then we begin to see how we relate ourselves to objects, other people and our whole environment. With this in mind, the characteristics – including the advantages and disadvantages of the materials themselves, add meanings to my work. With the paradoxical nature of my work, I hope to question the true meaning of jewellery.
I like the fact that the Museum has collected an object made of dust when, for the most part, we go to a lot of effort at minimising this very thing!
Lynne McNairn
Registrar
© Powerhouse Museum, all rights reserved.
When you live in the suburbs and make long journeys along bus lanes or railway lines its hard not to notice wattle in flower at this time of year. Wattle of course is our national flower and gave us our green and gold sporting colours.
September 1st is officially National Wattle Day and this made me look up Wattle in our collection database. One lovely object is a hand embroidered silk valance made by Isabella Murray. Isabella Murray was the daughter in law of Sir Henry Parkes (often called the Father of Federation).
The valance features sprays of a ferny leafed wattle. Flowers were a popular embroidery motif with the journal ‘Castner’s Monthly and Rural Australian’ advising in November 1886 that ‘flowers must be true to nature – in fact nature must be as carefully copied as possible’. Native plants often featured and in the lead up to Australia’s Federation in 1901 wattle was increasingly common”.
Isabella was not lucky in her marriage to Sir Henry’s youngest son Varney
The family was often short of money as Varney had a chequered career as an architect, politician and businessman. Although not a distinguished architect, his practice seems to have flourished in the early 1890s, when he designed the ‘Marble Bar’ for George Adams’ hotel in Pitt St and other buildings in the city. However he was extravagant, lost money in various unsuccessful ventures and was declared bankrupt in 1895.
Varney was notorious for his extra-marital affairs. Isabella left him to live in Edinburgh in 1899 and sought a divorce three years later. This was not granted and she returned to bring up her family alone, settling in the suburb of Waverley. A resourceful, independent woman, Isabella found employment and raised her three children frugally but successfully. She lived with her daughter Mary (even after Mary’s marriage) until her death in 1927”.
It is not known at what stage of her life Isabella made this valance but it is nice to think of her sitting her parlour stitching away and I’m sure she would have enjoyed making it.
The valance is currently on display at the Powerhouse Discovery Centre at Castle Hill
Lynne McNairn
Registrar
