Gifts inspired by the Oscars: ‘The Kings Speech’
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In the days leading up to Sunday’s Academy Awards, we’ve been giving you some gift ideas inspired by Oscar nominees.
We’d like to raise a glass to His Majesty King George VI (aka Albert Frederick Arthur George, otherwise known simply as Bertie) and his 12 Academy Award nominations.
Your Royal Highness, we insist. Do sit down and allow us. You’re practically king of Hollywood here. Let’s give you a rest from all that dreadful speech-making and —let’s be frank—stultifying formality. It’s our turn to talk now and toast you on this grand occasion, the eve of the Oscars.
To put you at ease, we’re setting out this exquisite Tommy crystal glassware by Saint-Louis Crystal that debuted at a luncheon held in His Majesty’s honor at the Palace of Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors in 1938. The only question is: Which glass do we raise? Apparently, each guest setting boasted 11 back then. We got our hands on the menu to see just what was filling them and counted five champagnes at a glance— magnums of GH Mumm 1911 and Pol Roger 1911, plus Pommery 1895, Veuve Cliquot 1900 and Louis Roederer 1904. And we’re not even mentioning the long list of other spirits at the soiree.
Founded in 1586, Saint-Louis Crystal is arguably Europe’s oldest cristallerie and France’s official royal crystal supplier, as decreed by King Louis XV in 1767. This company cuts one brilliant facet —It takes 10 days to make just one hand-cut, mouth-blown Tommy glass. Named after the affectionate term for young British soldiers during World War I, the stemware combines a multitude of varied cuts to positively bedazzling effects. Eighty years later, it’s still one of the most popular designs in the company’s collection. In short, it makes for one royally distinguished gift. (In eight colors and countless styles of stemware and coordinating accessories, from $220 at the Hermès store on Rodeo Drive, 310-278-6440; also www.georgewatts.com and www.gearys.com)
--Ingrid Schmidt