Monday 22 November 2010

Ku ku cuckoo!

Cuckoo clocks are cool. That's what Lord Bassington-Bassington has always felt, anyway. And because of that, he is extremely enthusiastic about the current cuckoo clock revival.

Young artist Stefan Strumbel leads the field when it comes to the fusion of Germanic folk art (grown-up talk for "kitsch") and high art (grown-up talk for "pretentious"), and while he produces some stunning works, one is usure about whether one would want them on one's wall. Not to mention whether one could ever afford them...




So for something that's more moderate both in price and execution, one can do worse than turn to Italian company Diamantini & Domeniconi, who produce cuckoos where Germanic tradition meets Italian design in a mix that is stunningly European.





These clocks are available in two versions, the most elaborate (and thus most tempting) version having a working cuckoo. In order to not deprive the owner of sleep, it has a light sensor to make the bird inside take the night along with the owners, but this raised a number of questions. How would a light sensor handle the Norwegian seasons? Wouldn't the cocky cuckoo just refuse to accept that it's nighttime during the white nights of July, for instance? The clinching argument, though, was presented by Lady Mju. Lady Mju. being a feline sort of type, pointed out that she wouldn't get much done if she had to sit under the clock all day stalking the birdie inside. So the choice was clear: Some things had to be sacrificed.



Lord Bassington-Bassington thinks the clock works quite well on the wall here at Bassington Manor. (The white roses are obviously a small tribute to a band His Lordship quite enjoys).

So what else can one do than join those founders of neofolk, Death in June, in singing "Ku ku cuckoo, baby!"

10 comments:

  1. Indeed all interior design should merely consist of cuckoo-clocks, antlers, oak leaves and white roses. I am already looking forward to your blogpost on antlers...

    Vielen Dank für die Blumen, Vielen Dank..wie lieb von dir.

    Thomas.

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  2. Thank you yourself!

    There IS actually a bit of antlers and similar things going up on the walls of Bassington Manor these days, the house is having a neofolk makeover. More about that soon.

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  3. I want, no NEED(!) the top one! Seriously! It was beautiful!

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  4. The pure wrongness of a Mullah having a swine-infested clock as interior decor aside, I suspect you need serious Saudi oil money to buy it...

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  5. I've been looking for an excuse to get my hands on those Saudi and Iranian money for my mosque. And I see a lot of muslims waving pictures of people and pigs lately, so it's obviously halal.

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  6. i found a very beautiful cuckoo-clock recently that i must indeed own one day... That one did indeed have antlers, acorn, oakleaves as decorations all done in beautiful brown , everything that would indeed make any grandfather gleam with joy, from the pure Heimat feeling... will post you a photo of that one.

    Thomas

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  7. Well, pigs are fine creatures, although not as noble as Bassets, who are, after all, the true master race.

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  8. I realy like the traditionel ones. Dot care som mutch före the new "artsy" ones. Hmm, i like traditional things. My oh my..

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  9. I see you point, Don B. But it's also a question of what fits with the aesthetic that's already in place. And I'm afraid Bassington Manor is quite Scandinavian in that regard.

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  10. Pretentious? Nah. I don't agree. I really love the pink one, would love it even more in a grassy green though, and I think my cat would like it too.

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