{"product_id":"tony-duquette-camelot-sir-percival-scorching-salamander-charm","title":"Sir Percival’s Scorching Salamander Charm","description":"\u003ch3\u003eTony Duquette\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTony Duquette was one of the great tastemakers of the 20th century, and even though I never had the chance to meet him, his prolific body of work and the broad range of his designs are a huge inspiration to me. \u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA protege of the original American interior designer Elsie de Wolfe, Tony came of age just after the Second World War, and found his voice in the rarefied atmosphere where the Jet Set and Hollywood royalty converged.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eImmediately recognized for his talent, in 1950 he was the first American to be honored with a one man exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  His\u003c\/span\u003e paintings, sculpture, furniture, jewelry, and designs for the theatre exhibited there reveal the breadth of his boundless creativity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTony has inspired me through the books written about him, the monumental home he left (Dawnridge in Beverly Hills California), and his protege Hutton Wilkinson, who is just as exceptional as his mentor, and continues to push design forward today.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCamelot\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn 1960, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe had the vision to adapt T.H. White’s bestselling 1958 novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Once and Future King\u003c\/em\u003e, into a musical featuring the biggest stars of the day, including Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, and Robert Goulet. \u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis musical adaptation of the King Arthur legend took the world by storm and ran on Broadway for 873 performances and won four Tony Awards in 1961.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eOne of those Tony Awards was won by the young American artist Tony Duquette for best costume design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEven though I was familiar with the King Arthur myth, I did not know that this play was the reason why the word “Camelot” is associated with the Kennedy family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIt turns out that:\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e“A week after the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, Kennedy's widow, Jackie Kennedy, was interviewed by Theodore H. White, an interview that ran in the December 1963 issue of \u003ci\u003eLife\u003c\/i\u003e magazine.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn the interview, Jackie stated that the show's original cast recording had been a favorite bedtime listening for her husband (who had been Lerner's classmate at Harvard University),\u003csup\u003e \u003c\/sup\u003eand that his favorite lines were in the final number: ‘Don't let it be forgot\/ That once there was a spot\/ For one brief, shining moment\/ That was known as Camelot’.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eShe also made a direct comparison to the \u003ci\u003eCamelot\u003c\/i\u003e storyline, saying, ‘There'll be great presidents again... but there'll never be another Camelot.’\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe veracity of her claim about her husband's love of \u003ci\u003eCamelot\u003c\/i\u003e has been disputed.\u003csup\u003e \u003c\/sup\u003eNevertheless, an association between \u003ci\u003eCamelot\u003c\/i\u003e and Kennedy's tenure as president formed immediately in the public consciousness, and has remained in the decades since.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSource: Wikipedia \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Camelot_(musical)\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Camelot_(musical)\"\u003ehttps:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Camelot_(musical)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKnights of the Round Table\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eI like to think that one of the reasons why Camelot was so successful is because of the richness and beauty of Tony Duquette’s award winning costume designs.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eHe created a powerful mythology in the iconography and the details he chose to represent each of the primary characters, the Knights of the Round Table, and it is in this iconography that I found the inspiration for my charms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eEach of the Knights has its own heraldry, and I found these icons impossible to resist.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKing Arthur, known for his unparalleled leadership, is represented by “lions rampant”, the sword Excalibur, and his crown.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGuinevere, the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, loved by both King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, is represented by the unicorn.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Lancelot, known for his passion and heroism is the first Knight of the Round Table, and is represented by a lion like King Arthur.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Galahad, a son of Sir Lancelot, was capable of performing miracles such as banishing demons and healing the sick, and is represented by a knight’s helmet crowned with antlers and a fox.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMerlin, the enchanter wizard with supernatural powers, is represented by the moon.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMorgan Le Fay, the passionate fairy goddess, is represented by the sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMordred, the son of Arthur, is represented by a raven.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Gawain, known for his bravery and as a defender of the poor, is represented by knight’s armor crowned with a sailing ship.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Sagremore, known for his passion, is represented by a crowned dolphin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Percival, known for his grace and innocence, is represented by a salamander emerging from flames.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Dinadan, known for his humor and pragmatism, is represented by a crowned Dalmatian dog.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSir Pellinore is represented by a crowned elephant with broken chains.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMy Favorite Parts of this Design\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eI love love love charms!\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eI find their diversity, whimsy, and uniqueness so much fun!\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eI always get lost in my grandmother’s charm bracelets, and I designed my charms to incorporate my favorite aspects of charms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe first thing I love about these charms is that they are unique.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eNot one is simple, and each one has the beauty of Tony Duquette’s singular vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThese charms are not just sturdy (I hate flimsy charms), but they are whimsical!\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eI love it when charms seem “found”, and not necessarily designed to be charms, but look amazing on a charm bracelet any way.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eI tried to recreate that whimsy with each piece, but I am especially fond of Sir Dinadan’s dog attaching by the tail, Merlin’s moon always being silver, and Mordred’s raven’s magic wand! \u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eI love it when charms feel good in your hands, so even though I was adapting 2-dimensional drawings, I wanted each piece to be sculptural and give tactile pleasure.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eI hope as you hold your charm you are enamored by it as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eMy favorite charm bracelet is one of my grandmother’s, and it is covered with heavy 18th century Spanish gold coins. I have always loved how heavy and significant her bracelet is, and since Tony Duquette is most famous for not having any limits, I wanted my charm bracelet to make a statement as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIt may not seem like much, but as part of my first bracelet design I also created a novel toggle system that I am especially proud of.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eBased on the Pharaoun signature “PP” hallmark, it is easy to secure and lies flat and elegantly on the wrist.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eI’d love to hear what you think about it!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pharaoun","offers":[{"title":"Sterling Silver","offer_id":52898606252312,"sku":"tony-duquette-charm-percival-silver","price":345.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22 karat Gold","offer_id":52898606285080,"sku":"tony-duquette-charm-percival-gold","price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2444\/7101\/products\/TonyDuquette.023.png?v=1669838357","url":"https:\/\/pharaoun.com\/products\/tony-duquette-camelot-sir-percival-scorching-salamander-charm","provider":"Pharaoun by Sergio Andrés","version":"1.0","type":"link"}