The Moore the Better..........A$125

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

Your scribe likes nothing better than a good ol' birthday celebration and today we celebrate the life of one of the great Yorkshire artistic exports of all time.....Henry Moore.  Henry banged out (literally) thousands of sculptural masterpieces over a career that Moore says started when he was 11 years old in his marvel at the works of Michelangelo.

 His works are scattered across the globe in all manner of galleries and public spaces. On a trip to Toronto your scribe was lucky enough to have had a few moments down time to visit the Art Gallery of Ontario. Your scribe likes nothing better than to take in some art and culture on an afternoon of Canadian blizzard and with wind chill we were well below minus 10 C, so it was nice to be indoors!!!!! When ensconced inside, low and behold, your scribe found the most extraordinary collection, in fact the largest collection of Henry Moore sculptures in the world. The "Two Large Forms" that greets you on arrival at the gallery is something to behold also.

Henry....you probably never wore a cuff link in your life but regardless, we name you "Honorary" Link Man of the Day!!!!!.

Ontario to some is the other end of the universe and when those winds blow across Toronto you know you're cold!  But regardless your scribe had many a weekends escape to Ottawa and Toronto from the grind of New York City.  There are some architectural marvels there to look at like Brookefield Place and the CN Tower.  When there, your scribe had a wonderful afternoon down in the Distillery District.  Food, wine, cuff links and culture to name a few of your scribes hobbies and past times are to be found there.

Today's links were found in a modern jeweller that recycles old watches and small machinery in to modern dazzling pieces.  They are the artist's interpretation of a jet engine from old brass clock parts. Today they are worn with a tailored cotton shirt and a copper coloured Gucci silk neck tie.

Til Later




ONWARD

More Champagne to Sir's table please....​......SOLD

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

There's only one thing your scribe likes more than a great air show and that's a great air show opening cocktail party and a great air show closing dinner.  They are always great black tie affairs and the opening night cocktail party has this wonderful air of anticipation with all the participants rubbing shoulders with the best of them.  On the night, you're bound to come across the crack sales team from a major aircraft manufacturer.  They like air show events to announce their new book orders for 100 odd new passenger aircraft or whatever.  It's a competitive world out there and the majors like nothing better than to shoot across each others bows with press releases and announcements of huge book orders.  The numbers involved are always staggering and your scribe at times wonders whatever happened to the GFC in this sector???.

Your scribe has attended many of these events and I relish not so much to be mixing with the plane makers but to be with the true hard core aviation guys.  I have meet the most lovely ladies and gents of the aviation world that flew in the London Blitz, astronauts and the odd aviator that has broken the sound barrier.  Chuck Yeager in point was a delightful fellow that I met an event many moons ago.  He really was the original Right Stuff and for an aviation legend, a most humble and approachable man.  Chuck, you're our link man of the Day
 .

A closing night Air Show Ball requires suitable bling to go with the mandatory black tie and cummerbund and when your date is wearing some substantial bling herself then what better than some zirconium mini planes.  Cohibas and fine French fizzy stuff is a must on any of these nights.

And a tip for you young players and link men on the rise.......at these events always get near a corporate table that announced the day before the sale of hundreds of passenger craft to a likely Middle Eastern airline.  Their champagne will flow and they are always willing to share the largesse with anyone who will listen!!!!

Today's links are  worn with a white formal shirt with button studs and a Jermyn Street black self tie bow tie.

Til Later




ONWARD

Marchons Marchons..........A$45

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

Crack open the French Fizzy stuff, as today is Bastille Day and a day for celebration for all French people and Francophiles like your scribe all over the world.

It celebrates the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 and is the beginning of what they call The French Revolution.  The Bastille was a prison complex and was seen as the symbol of aristocratic oppression of the French masses.  The day itself celebrates the coming of French Nationhood and then the beginning of the First Republic.

On Bastille Day your scribe likes nothing better that to drink some of his favourite tipple....La Grande Dame (nicely chilled of course) and to sit down and take in the odd French gangster film. This year I might take in an absolute classic, Rififi.  As a heist movie there is nothing better and it has been an inspiration and ground piece for dozens of gangster films to follow.  The centrepiece of the film is an intricate half hour heist scene depicting the robbery of a jewellery store on La rue de Rivoli.  One of the more extraordinary scenes in cinema history, the heist of diamonds and jewels is shot in near silence and without dialogue. The tension is enormous around the most technical of crimes for the 1950's.  Like all good gangster flicks the human element comes to play and it all starts to unravel.

For those that have listened to the French national anthem at a game of rugby, you can hear the passion and pride with which the players sing.  Their opponents rarely know the lyrics of what possibly the most blood-thirsty call to arms and anthem.....I give you the first verse of "La Marseilles"

Allons enfants de la Patrie, (Arise, children of the Fatherland),
Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! (The day of glory has arrived!)
Contre nous de la tyrannie, (Against us tyranny)
L'étendard sanglant est levé, (bis) (Raises its bloody banner) (repeat)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes (Do you hear, in the countryside,)
Mugir ces féroces soldats ? (The roar of those ferocious soldiers?)
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras (They're coming right into your arms)
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes ! (To cut the throats of your sons and women!)

Today's links are Fleur de Lys sterling silver cufflinks and are worn with the obligatory Hermes silk tricolour necktie with Napoleonic hats.  Today's shirt is a Simon Carter of London cotton dress shirt.


Til Later




ONWARD

The Monkee Magic of Buddhism on a Birthday..........A$145

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

As you know your scribe is as impartial as he can be and strives to "maintain the balance" wherever possible.  I did mention in past dispatches the celebration of particular religious celebrations and I have managed to cover those that celebrate The Lord on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  But this is different and your scribe likes nothing better than a birthday to celebrate.

Thank you to those that have provided comments to this scribes literary efforts and as promised to one of my readers, your scribe today would like to pay homage and celebrate the recent birthday of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

 He is possibly the happiest man you will ever meet and possibly one of the great leaders of our time.  He is the highest-ranking lama of Tibetan Buddhism.  Since the 17th century, the Dalai Lama has been the political and spiritual leader of Tibet.  He also is considered an emanation of the Bodhisattva Avolokitshvara, an iconic figure who represents boundless compassion.  The current Dalai lama whose original name is Tenzin Gyatso, is the 14th reincarnation of the original Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhists traditionally believe him to be the reincarnation of his predecessors and a manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.  Today is his birthday and on behalf of myself and this scribes many avid readers may we wish him all the best on his big day.

As an aside, one of the benefits of rasing children is the ability to impose on them your favourite movies, TV shows and music!!!!!!  The other day, one of your scribes offspring that is at university said that he finally understood or "got it' as he said what the show Monkey Magic was about.  He and a few of his friends stumbled upon the show and he remembered me making him watch it as a child.  A wonderful show of magic, music and fantasy characters that was based on the travels, exploits and good deeds of Buddha. Much better than Telly Tubbies for mine!!!!  All these years later he finally "gets it".....kids!!!!!!!!!!

Today's links  are sterling silver cufflinks with a repousse Buddha image  and I think are from the '70's.  They are worn with a Valentino silk tie with Buddha motifs on a cotton tailor made shirt from Vietnam. 
Happy Birthday Your Holiness we all love and admire your work.

Til Later




ONWARD

Exit Through the Gift Shop..........SOLD

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

Your scribe was having a lengthy discussion over many bottles of simply divine chilled Sancerre at a dinner party the other night and I reminisced over the wonderful Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City or as the locals call it "The Met".  The dinner hastily convened a collective panel of self appointed "jurists" and to your scribe's amazement, we all agreed on a shortlist that was very close to that put forward by your scribe in a past post.   A few favourites as put forward by the jurists were: The Hermitage,  the Uffizi Gallery and Vatican Museums in Italy,  the Smithsonian,  The Dali Theatre Museum in Figueres in Catalonia,  Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim and of course the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Banksy film "Exit through the Gift Shop" is prophetic for your scribe as he can't help himself at the Met gift store.  There are any number of beautiful museum reproductions from ancient Greek and Roman statues and reliefs or sensuous Buddhas, they are a great way to embellish any living space at a reasonable price.  There are scarves, neck ties and yes......cuff links. They are always faithful reproductions and if you want a Dali sculpture in your living room, you can either rob a bank or simply go to the Met gift store.  And of course there are the most fabulous ancient reproductions of relics that are attached to dress cuff links.

If you are in New York City a visit to the Met is a must....its on 5th Avenue and you can't really miss it if you're wandering around the streets of New York midtown.  A little gem by the way is a branch of the Met in North Manhattan called "The Cloisters" Museum and Gardens.  As only a Rockefeller could do, the museum was established through the acquisition of 5 medieval European monasteries that were demounted in Europe and then rebuilt on a 5 hectare site over looking the Hudson River in North Manhattan.  It was one of the greatest "release valves" available when battling the daily grind of business in Manhattan.

Today's links of course emanate from the Met gift store when I was exiting the premises.  I managed to get a few wonderful gifts for people back home but also these little beauties which are Nordic gold relics reproduced as cuff links. They are plate gold and perfectly compliment a silk Salvatore Ferragamo neck tie with jaguar and palm tree motifs on a white cotton Brooks Brothers shirt.

Til Later




ONWARD

Strike 3 and You're Out..........A$105

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

Your scribe has just returned from another short working break to Osaka and was lucky enough to have again sampled the fine wines and fine food on offer there. There are four Michelin 3 Star restaurants in Osaka, so if you're a gourmand then Osaka is the place for you.

 Whilst there, I was also lucky enough to have witnessed the loss of yet another game by the Osaka Buffaloes.  That's their logo above.  Like a lot of their supporters, I have never seen them win a game....maybe one day.  Japanese baseball is fun alternative to America's "big show" baseball, as they call it.  Although the fans are just as ardent and the games are always full of spectator participation.  Your scribes favourite part of the whole exercise is where the various beer vendors try and spruik your custom.  The three major breweries were there competing and seeking your baseball brewski order....Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin.  Last week I settled for the Sapporo.

As always, I managed to range the back streets of bars, food joints and shops....a Link Man on the prowl!!!!  Today's little beauties are small ceramic tile cuff links that a young artist had hand painted.  He had a number of quite exquisite traditional Japanese designs along with some more contemporary ones.  His little store of only a couple of square metres provided the perfect source of new links and of course the gift links for those back home.

Back to the Buffaloes......the home games for the Osaka Buffaloes are at the Osaka Dome which is wonderful futuristic structure and a great fun venue for baseball....or "bassieburrow" as they say in Japan. With capacity seating at about 35,000 a packed home game is always full of atmosphere and there is so much merchandising available you are bound to leave with all the latest shirts and hats for those back home!!

Today's links are worn with a cream coloured cotton Simon Carter of London shirt and silk Chanel neck tie with lilac lily motifs.


Til Later




ONWARD

The Man in Black..........A$55

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

Recently, your scribe had to attend a funeral of a dear old friend that was a saint amongst all mankind.  He made selfless works an art form in his help of others less fortunate than himself.  He was always dressed in black and I leave for you all today the lyrics of a wonderful Johnny Cash (a great Link Man as well!!!!) song that reminded me of my dear friend.

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black

Why you never see bright colors on my back

And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone

Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down

Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town

I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime

But is there because he's a victim of the times

I wear the black for those who've never read

Or listened to the words that Jesus said

About the road to happiness through love and charity

Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose

In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes

But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back

Up front there ought to be a Man In Black

I wear it for the sick and lonely old

For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold

I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been

Each week we lose a hundred fine young men

And I wear it for the thousands who have died

Believin' that the Lord was on their side

I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died

Believin' that we all were on their side

Well, there's things that never will be right I know

And things need changin' everywhere you go

But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right

You'll never see me wear a suit of white

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day

And tell the world that everything's okay

But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back

Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black

"Man in Black" as written by Colley/saraceno/mantz
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Today's links are  black leather and pressed metal.  They are worn with a  white cotton Saville Row shirt and a black silk Gucci neck tie and a black suit.

Til Later




ONWARD

Beer largesse..........A$45

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

No trip to Germany is compete without a good old session drinking good old fashioned German beer.  If there's one thing (besides perhaps football!!) the Germans do and do well is to brew beer.  The German Beer Purity Law of 1516 or the Reinheitsgebot, dictates that beer brewed in Germany can only contain 5 ingredients hence the clean fresh taste of a good German beer without impurities or preservatives.  My kind of country!

For many years the Beck’s label has been the canvas for some of the biggest names in contemporary art.  In their hands the Beck’s bottle has been transformed into a collectable work of art.  Beck’s have supported contemporary art for the best part of 20 years – leading emerging artists such Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin and Jake & Dinos Chapman were given a helping hand at key points in their career by the brewer.

Your scribe was lucky enough to have attended the 1987 launch of the Gilbert and George Becks label.  It was a limited series of 2,000 Becks bottles done by the weird and wonderful Gilbert and George at the Hayward Gallery.  I still have the bottle (and should contemplate an EBay sale) and a fine pair of cuff links that were gifts in the little gift hamper that the brewery kindly handed out to the punters on the night. After many thousands of Becks that night I was lucky to make it back to the hotel let alone not losing my little hamper in the back of a London cab!!!!

Any corporation that supports artists and the promotion of modern and contemporary art deserves praise and recognition....particularly if they throw in a pair of cuff links as well.....Arise Gilbert and arise George.....you are our Link Men of the day.

Today's links are Beck's logo links made of pressed metal and enamel.  They are worn with a Simon Carter of London cotton shirt and Renee Chagal silk neck tie with beer styne motifs.


 Til Later