The Little Mermaid
I love it when I can find cultural expressions in various formats. To give you an example, when I was deep into studying Bluework Embroidery, I began to collect blue and white dishes, produced in various locations. I discovered that blue and white has been a Classic Color Combination for centuries. If you look around my website, you will see further examples of that, one primary one being distinctive Blue and White Embroidery from Deerfield, Massachusetts. Today, I want to show you one specific plate that I collected.
Tribute plate to “The Little Mermaid,” collection of Patricia Cummings
Having no idea what the plate represented, when I purchased it, I bought a small plate. My daughter-in-law, Rebecca, who was born in Denmark and lived there a good many years, recognized the image immediately. “The Little Mermaid” or “Den lille havfrue,” is a story for children written by Hans Christian Andersen of Denmark. The story was first published in 1837. The basic story line is that a mermaid wishes to have a human soul so that she can marry a human prince.
In 1913, a statue to the little mermaid was unveiled in a harbor at Copenhagen. Unfortunately, this statue has been vandalized greatly, over the years. However, it is such an important symbol, to the Danes, and a tribute to Andersen, a great Danish poet and writer, the statue has often been repaired.
If you would like to know more about the story, here is a link a Wikipedia entry: The Little Mermaid.
As we look around us, it is stunning to see how many songs are related to actual events, and to realize the many other connections that we take for granted. Many times, the meaning of objects go far beyond the obvious … and the one I’ve just shown you is one example.
Happy Weekend,
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
