Title: The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance
Author: Edmund DeWaal
Host: Vicky
From Publishers Weekly
In this family history, de Waal, a potter and curator of ceramics at the Victoria & Albert Museum, describes the experiences of his family, the Ephrussis, during the turmoil of the 20th century. Grain merchants in Odessa, various family members migrated to Vienna and Paris, becoming successful bankers. Secular Jews, they sought assimilation in a period of virulent anti-Semitism.
In Paris, Charles Ephrussi purchased a large collection of Japanese netsuke, tiny hand-carved figures including a hare with amber eyes. The collection passed to Viktor Ephrussi in Vienna and became the family's greatest legacy. Loyal citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Vienna Ephrussis were devastated by the outcome of WWI and were later driven from their home by the imposition of Nazi rule over Austria. After WWII, they discovered that their maid, Anna, had preserved the netsuke collection, which Ignace Ephrussi inherited, and he settled in postwar Japan. Today, the netsuke reside with de Waal (descended from the family's Vienna branch) and serve as the embodiment of his family history. A somewhat rambling narrative with special appeal to art historians, this account is nonetheless rich in drama and valuable anecdote.
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What fun to discuss a book that we all loved! Written from the perspective of an artist, astute social observer, and indefatigable researcher, this book was engaging on so many levels. I was moved by DeWaal’s abiding respect for his Jewish heritage, devotion to his family history, and unwillingness to let his story become “smooth and thin” by failing to research it properly. And using the collection of 264 netsuke as the unifying theme was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteVicky’s Campari Pink Lemonade
ReplyDeleteInto a goblet or tall glass, add ice.
Fill 2/3’s with lemonade. (I used Trader Joe’s.)
Fill 1/3 with fizzy beverage. (I used Sunkist Diet Lemonade).
Add a splash of Campari. (Say about a jigger.) For virgin, use cherry juice.
Add lime or lemon slices.
Add mint.
For an orange version, use orange juice and Sunkist Diet Orangeade with orange slices.
Stir and enjoy with book group friends!
The green and brown dress with appliqued circles...
ReplyDeleteDuring our discussion of The Hare with Amber Eyes, we talked about collecting and what objects we save or don't save. I blurted out that I couldn't bring myself to care about the baby dresses that my Aunt Clarissa made for me. Then I remembered a dress I did care about: the one my mother made me when I was ten years old. The dress is now over fifty years old and holding up well! I'll post a photo and add more about why we value the things we do.