Tussie-Mussie

I apologize as this post is long over due. But what can I say its been a whirlwind of a summer. I spent about 7 weeks of the summer teaching at Belvoir Terrace, an all girls summer art camp in Lenox, MA. It was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful for the chance to work with so many talented artists, both on staff and the students themselves. I am also grateful for the chance to use the studio which was in the basement of what was called the "house" but was actually a beautiful mansion built in the 1890s.

This space served my needs perfectly as I had been asked to make a Tussie-Mussie for my friend Katja's wedding. A tussie-mussie (or Hussy tussy as my students preferred to call it) was mostly used in victorian times to hold a small bouquet of flowers that was normally given as a gift from an admirer. Each flower is meant to have a significant meaning so that the giver could communicate his/her feelings non-verbally. The bouquet was also meant to mask the orders of the Victorian woman. These small bouquets were held in ornate flower vases. They often were attached to a ring on a chain so that the wearer could have her hands free while it dangled from her finger. Below is the Tussie-Mussie holder I made. The second picture is from the wedding. As in the tradition of Tussie-Mussie, Kate picked out each flower in the bouquet for it's significant meaning. Congrats Katja and Andy!