If you're in the New York City area through Sunday, January 29th, there's still time to attend The Winter Show at the historic Park Avenue Armory - just click on the highlighted link to get tickets.
The Winter Show is the country's première art, antiques, and design fair. This year is its 69th annual edition. Last week, I attended the event's Opening Party along with antiques and design professionals, and private collectors. The affair included works spanning thousands of years presented by more than 65 internationally renowned dealers. We saw the most exquisite pieces - paintings, fine furniture, jewelry, ceramics, glass, wood, and so many more. The Show is a benefit for the East Side House Settlement, a community-centered organization serving the South Bronx, which combats poverty and focuses on using education and technology to help individuals pursue career goals and further economic opportunities - it's a most noble and worthy cause. Following The Winter Show, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends at Daniel, the extraordinary flagship establishment owned by my friend and celebrated chef, Daniel Boulud. Daniel is one of my favorite restaurants serving award-winning, contemporary cuisine rooted in French tradition.
Enjoy these photos.
There are so many magnificent pieces to see at The Winter Show. It is a great place to learn about antiques, their history, and possibly shop the booths. This sculpture is by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) called L’Un des Bourgeois de Calais: Pierre de Wiessant. It was cast c. 1905 and measures 17 3/4 inches. Its Exhibitor is Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, LLC
This piece was included in a design co-chair vignette by Bunny Williams and Elizabeth Lawrence of Bunny Williams Interior Design. It is by Wheeler Williams (1897–1972) and is one of a pair of Gatepost Roosters, 1932. It’s made from Terra cotta and is 34 inches high. It is also signed and dated by Wheeler Williams, 1932.
This piece is a Gold Ground Shell Ewer and Basin from Dagoty Porcelain Manufactory (France 1798-1820), Circa 1810-15 The Exhibitor: Michele Beiny.
Another design co-chair vignette was done by my friend, Stephen Sills of Stephen Sills Associates. This is Silver Plate #1, Koopman Rare Art.
This is Silver Plate #2 also from Koopman Rare Art.
Stephen and I stopped for a quick photo in his booth.
In another booth, I spotted some stunning wood trays. This is George III Pie Crust Tray C. 1770, London, England shown by exhibitor: Michael Pashby Antiques. I just love the detail.
This is a fine and very rare George III Yew Wood Tray English, provincial c. 1780 also shown by Michael Pashby Antiques. Last year, I had a large table made out of a yew tree that was cut down at my former East Hampton, New York home. Yew wood, Taxus Baccata, is a species of evergreen tree in the conifer family. Yew is native to Western, Central, and Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, Northern Iran, Southwest Asia, and is also known as common yew, European yew, and English yew.
Here is another beautiful George III Oval Tray. All of these trays are in such excellent condition.
And here is a George III Mahogany Oval Tray London, England, c. 1770 Exhibitor: Michael Pashby Antiques. Mahogany is a straight-grained, dark reddish-brown timber.
Also in this booth – a fine and rare pair of Christopher Dresser Silver and Glass Wine Decanters from London, England, 1890.
This is a Charlotte Major Wylie (London 1828 – 1909 Aberystwith, Wales) piece called The Veiled King Death. It is made of tempera and gesso, with silver and gold leaf, bone, pearl, agate and colored stone inlays, on a circular wood panel, set within a richly ornamented frame designed and fabricated by the artist. This piece is part of a special curated exhibition for The Winter Show by exhibitor Robert Simon Fine Art titled “Heroines of the Brush: Women Artists from the Renaissance to the 20th Century.” The Exhibitor: Robert Simon Fine Art.
This majestic bird is part of an installation view of Barbara Israel Garden Antiques. It is an impressive zine pilot-house eagle with outspread wings. Its details show feathers that are finely articulated, with the beak slightly open, and the talons resting on a domed base. It is American, ca. 1880. Eagles were regularly used as maritime ornaments positioned on the top of a ship’s pilot house, or on a tugboat’s prow.
In the Thomsen Gallery is this Hasegawa Chikuyū (1885-1962) Clouds over Mountains. This is half of a 1920s pair of two-panel folding screens made from ink, mineral pigments, gofun, and gold wash on silk. It measures 66 x 72 and a 1/2 inches.
And this is Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts Tiffany Studios, 1902-1932 Marsh Marigold Planter, ca. 1905 Bronze with the original copper liner. It is 10 and a 1/2 inches in diameter by 3 and a 1/2 inches in height. There was so much more to see – I hope you are able to catch The Winter Show if you are in New York City this week.
Next was a wonderful dinner at Daniel with friends. We started with baguette épi. Épi resembles an ear of wheat and is often made with French baguette dough.
Next, a most delicious Winter Chicory Salad with burrata-gorgonzola emulsion, Bosc pear, radish shavings, and “mostarda di frutta vinaigrette.”
This dish includes Day Boat John Dory “Goujonettes”, black truffled “dashi”, parsley root, and braised Brussels sprouts.
This is Montauk black sea bass, with broccolini, bottarga-potato “croquette”, Buddha hand lemon emulsion, and pine nut gremolata.
And here is Highland Farm Venison, black currant dusted quince, foie gras “copeaux”, myoga, parsnip, and sauce “Poivrade.” Every dish was beautifully presented and every dish utterly delicious.
Before leaving, Chef Daniel and I posed with the kitchen crew at Daniel. What a fun evening. The next time you’re in New York City, and want to treat yourself to a very special and most luxurious feast, go to Daniel – you will love it.
Today at my Bedford, New York farm, we're expecting clouds and rain this morning with possible snow showers this afternoon. With higher than usual temperatures, it's been a dreary, wet, and muddy winter so far.
I always enjoy seeing the beautiful snow covering the landscape this time of year, but one group who seems uninhibited by all the rain and mud is my gaggle of geese. They have a long, heated shelter in one corner of their enclosure, but they rarely stay there. Instead, these comical birds prefer to gather in the mud-filled patches and play in their pools. And they always come running to greet any visitors that pass by.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Many of you know, my geese have a large yard located right outside my stable. It is near the peafowl pen and two Silkie chicken enclosures. This area of the farm is a popular stop when friends and family come by.
We haven’t had any accumulation of snow so far this winter, but these birds don’t seem to mind. They enjoy being out in the rain, flapping their wings and walking through the mud and muck.
The do have a heated shelter in the back of their pen, but they are rarely there except when the hens are nesting on eggs.
They love to gather close together most of the time. And do you know, a group of geese on land is called a gaggle. This is because when geese get together they can get quite noisy and rowdy.
And, while the term “goose” may refer to either a male or female bird, when paired with “gander”, the word goose refers specifically to a female. Gander is the term used to identify a male.
In flight, a group of geese is called a skein, team or wedge. On the water or flying close together, a group is referred to as a wedge of geese.
I have several goose breeds. Here is my pair of Chinese geese. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. The Chinese goose holds its head high. Its head flows seamlessly into a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Its body is short, and has a prominent and well-rounded chest, smooth breast and no keel. Mature ganders average 12 pounds, while mature geese average 10 pounds.
Their bills are relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead.
Look closely at the Chinese geese in the back compared to the others in the foreground. The Chinese geese most likely descended from the swan goose in Asia, though over time developed different physical characteristics, such as longer necks and more compact bodies. The Chinese goose is a very hardy and low-maintenance breed.
Most domestic geese also have larger back ends than their wild counterparts and stand more upright.
Everyone asks about the Sebastopols. These birds are considered medium-sized birds. Both males and females have pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. Sebastopol geese have large, rounded heads, slightly arched necks, and keelless breasts.
And what is most striking is the plumage. The plumage of the head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled. Here’s one flapping its wings. Though domesticated breeds of geese generally retain some flight ability, Sebastopol geese cannot fly well due to the curliness of their feathers and have difficulty getting off the ground.
This is my pair of African geese – a breed that has a heavy body, thick neck, stout bill, and jaunty posture which gives the impression of strength and vitality. The African is a relative of the Chinese goose, both having descended from the wild swan goose native to Asia. The mature African goose has a large knob attached to its forehead, which requires several years to develop. A smooth, crescent-shaped dewlap hangs from its lower jaw and upper neck. Its body is nearly as wide as it is long. African geese are the largest of the domestic geese. These two African geese are often found together in the yard.
And if you follow my blog regularly, you may recognize the Pomeranian guard geese – the oldest of my gaggle.
Waterfowl don’t need roosts – they are very happy gathering together and sleeping on the ground.
Geese are grazing birds which means they eat a variety of different items. They eat roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects. In addition, I fortify their diet with a mix specifically made for waterfowl.
And, I like to give them lots of vegetables from my gardens. They love to pick at them during the day.
While both ducks and geese love water, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks.
Here’s the African goose at one of the pools getting a drink. When drinking water, geese will use the bill to lift the water into the mouth, and then toss its head back to let the water run down its throat.
And here’s Phurba filling a pool. On this day he said he just filled the pools an hour earlier, but the geese already played in the pools and dirtied all the water.
This is Bear. He was incubated and hatched right here at the farm. He is about two years old and is very attached to the humans, but his “affectionate” pecks can sometimes a bit insistent.
And these buff-brown geese are Toulouse geese. On this breed, the bill is stout, the head large and broad, and the moderately long neck is thick and nearly straight. Often suspended from the lower bill and upper neck is a heavy, folded dewlap that increases in size and fullness with age. The body is long, broad and deep, ending in a well-spread tail that points up slightly. And thanks to their honks, these geese make excellent guardians. They can scare off any animals on the ground and they’re great at spotting aerial predators, such as hawks and falcons. These three are taking their turn in the chicken enclosure guarding my many hens and roosters. What is your favorite breed of goose?
As many of you know, I am an avid horseback rider and love to go out for rides on my Friesians. An important part of riding is making sure the horse has a well-fitted saddle. A horse’s comfort and happiness as well as a rider's proper positioning all depend on the fit of the saddle. An improper fit can cause a rider's weight to be distributed unevenly, which can result in pressure points, rub marks, and soreness on the horse's back. Saddles should be checked once or twice a year.
Yesterday, second-generation saddle fitter and owner of Synergy Saddle Fit in upstate New York, Trish Baker, came to the farm to check my saddles and make adjustments where needed.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is my stable tack room where we keep many saddles, bridles, and harnesses. All the equipment is stored on specific racks when not being used.
We also keep equipment in my stable manager’s office. Everything is always ready for the next ride.
Here’s the patriarch of my stable, my handsome Friesian, Rinze. Rinze is first to get checked.
Rinze is taken out of his stall and safely secured to cross ties so saddle-fitter Trish could check out his back and top line. A horse’s top line includes all the musculature that runs from the poll, down the horse’s neck, over the back, and into the hindquarters.
Trish has been saddle-fitting for more than eight years not including her time apprenticing under her mother who is also a master saddle fitter. Trish’s company, Synergy Saddle Fit, is located just outside Albany, New York.
Here is Trish from the other side of Rinze – focusing on the structure of his middle back. She also makes sure Rinze is standing square on stable, even ground.
Next, Trish places the saddle on Rinze’s back without any saddle pad. This is my saddle and the one I use most whenever I ride.
Trish feels closely and uses her fingers to measure the space between the saddle and where it sits on Rinze’s back. She also feels the padding of the saddle to determine if it needs any adjustments. Some of the signs that a saddle doesn’t fit correctly include one that sits too far forward or too far back, a saddle that is too short or too long, too wide or too narrow, or a saddle that has too much space underneath it causing “bridging.” This means the saddle makes more contact at the front and back but not under the middle.
Trish wants to adjust the saddle slightly. The saddle is taken off and brought to Trish’s work station in the back of her car. Here she is pointing to the hole of the saddle where it is flocked, or filled with padding material.
Under all the leather that makes up a saddle is the tree, or the wooden form. That tree is padded with wool – either real sheep’s wool like this or synthetic wool.
Occasionally, the saddle may need more wool or slight adjustments to make sure it is still padding the tree correctly. Trish’s main tool is a flocking iron, which is used to insert wool into the hole of the saddle.
Trish uses her other hand to feel how it is sitting once inside the saddle.
What one doesn’t want is an “egg” or balled up wool inside the saddle. This makes the saddle uncomfortable. The wool must sit flat and cushion the saddle properly.
After flocking the saddle, it is placed on Rinze once again to re-check its fit.
Here, one can see that it sits quite level and straight on Rinze. A small adjustment like this could make a big difference to a horse. Rinze will be much more comfortable on our next ride.
She also rotates the stirrups – this is good to do a couple times a year to ensure equal wear.
Rinze is all set and quite proud of himself. Yes, Rinze, you get a cookie.
After examining the others, Trish recommends changing a saddle out for one that fits the horses better. Trish checks all the other saddles to see which is best.
The front of the saddle should sit behind the horse’s shoulder blades, allowing good swing motion. The back of the saddle should also be the right length. And the saddle itself should rest nicely on the back. This saddle looks good on Hylke.
Bond is up next. He is a 14-year old Friesian with an excellent and friendly temperament. In the end, all the saddles were in good shape and very few adjustments were needed.
And here I am on my steed, Rinze – ready for a ride. A well-fitting saddle gives the horse freedom of movement without any discomfort. It also helps the rider to find a correct and more effective riding position. If you ride and have your own equipment, don’t forget to have your saddles properly fitted – it’s good for both you and your trusted mount.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
