Friday 10 June 2011

Where the Herbalist Worked at Habitation


There is something about this photo that warms my heart.
It was taken in the herbalist's room at Habitation (Port royal).
I can just picture someone carefully crushing herbs with that pestle and mortar on the table....
Leaning back on a chair made from the trees outside and a skin from a hunting trip.
If that someone was me they would have discarded the clogs for a few minutes of foot freedom.


Apparently they wore clogs.
I didn't know the French (for it was them who landed at Habitation) used clogs.


Clogs clutter the floor in every room just waiting for visitors to try them out.
There might be a stitching in these three photos some time in the future.

8 comments:

  1. I'm always puzzled by clogs. They really don't look that comfortable, do they!

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  2. I had a pair of wooden clogs once - I can't for the life of me remember how they came to me - I was relatively young. They were actually pretty comfortable, actually, the only problem was they had absolutely NO traction at all. Wet grass and clogs = flat on face. And snow, oh dear, even worse!

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  3. These French probably FIRST went to Holland ;-))

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  4. I love scenes like this -- they take me back to simpler (or what appears at this point to be simpler) times - and I always feel a connection to the person who must have sat in the chair, or discarded the clogs at the door.

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  5. Oh yes, now that I know your work a bit better I can imagine what the piece will be. Can not wait to see.
    This is a very interesting post.
    I love that you share places I might not ever see.

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  6. I've been reading a book put together about a small rural area in France during the 1700 and 1800's. It seems clog making was a very common occupation for men. I never would have guessed myself. The author is putting together the life of one man from public records. It wasn't the best paying job and there was a lot of competition. Farming wasn't feasible in this area due to rocks and forests.

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  7. I just discovered your blog. It's very lovely and your work is exciting! I'm hooked!
    best, nadia

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  8. Maybe you will be interested in this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clog_(shoe) These kind of clogs (or sabot) are still used in certain areas of the Alps here in Italy.

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Thank you for taking the time to comment, your thoughts are most welcome.