A CB Love Affair
As soon as our eyes see the melodic color combo of red and pink this time of year, we know Valentine’s Day is around the corner. But how did we become so closely connected to the legends and myths around this love-filled holiday? St. Valentine himself (that old romantic!) was a Roman saint, thrown in prison for marrying young couples in secret. (Married men were considered to be lesser soldiers, and in some cases could avoid the army altogether.) When he was martyred around 269 AD, he signed a farewell letter to his jailer’s daughter “Your Valentine,” and his legacy as the patron saint of love and marriage was sealed.
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We might have love on the brain, but Eros, Cupid and Aphrodite were icons of not just romance, but affection, passion and the creative force that binds all beings. The Egyptian goddess Hathor stood for all forms of love, including maternal nurturing, the joy of life, and music. In Japanese Shinto mythology, Benzaiten (one of the Seven Lucky Gods) supported harmonious love in all forms, including friendship, and in the arts.
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The next time we see our beloved red—an ancient symbol of love and passion, through the Renaissance, Chaucer, and 19th-century roses and lace—and the delicate hues of pink, which the Victorians associated with sweetness and tenderness, we'll remember that “romances” are just the beginning of our love affair with the world.
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✤ For the Love of Gifts! ✤
Our enchanting new arrivals from French ceramicists Samuel Mazy and Jean Roger spell L-O-V-E in every language. Searching for pure decadence for your sweetheart? Fill a Ceramic Elephant Jar with treats, and set the table with gilded Mini Folies Bergères and Ceramic Seaweed Candleholders. A Gilt Bronze and Porcelain Magnolia Flower paired with Porcelain Lily of the Valley creates an irresistible setting—perfect for a table of one, two, or as many as your heart desires.