Merchant Ellys Collection
The merchants have gathered, and they are not looking happy. They have sailed the world for hundreds of years to bring some of the finest materials known to us. However, in more recent times, we seem to have been blown off course, indulging in synthetic materials, which over time is a false economy. The fact is; we have now run out of landfill sites. Thus we can no longer continue with our throw-away lifestyle.
Members of our current and future generation, they are looking at us on mass; and on mass, they feel that we are letting them down. Thus they are coming together to make a stand, using the ancient Ellys Manor House (EMH), that iconic building (that fully encapsulates the whole of early modern European and British history) as their platform to draw attention to the problem. Ellys Manor House and the church tower were built by Anthony Ellys, a rich English wool merchant, a merchant of the Staple of Calais. The symbol of Reynard (the Fox) and the Crane, a symbol attributed to Aesop, is also being used to inspire us to think wisely.
This particular Fox and Crane fable can also be seen in the late medieval/Renaissance wall paintings up at Ellys Manor House. For your interest, I would like to share with you some other locations where this particular fable can be seen: The Medieval Parliament Room of Perugia in Italy, which is thought to have the largest cycle of fables attributed to Aesop, end of 13th or beginning of 14th century, and then on the Fountain lower basin side. Stefan Horota’s sculpture of the fable in Berlin’s Treptower Park, 1968. Sadly, the labyrinth of Versailles, with groups of fountains and sculptures depicting the fables, are no more.
Wise men once adorned their great Civic buildings, homes and gardens with religious symbols and symbols attributed to Aesop, in the hope that those who had to make big decisions, would be inspired to think wisely. Today, once more our friends are telling us that they too wish to think wisely, as we should all be doing.
"Ellys Manor House/Merchant Ellys receives no council or government financial support. All of our merchandise are inspired by the magical wall paintings up at the house, and produced from high quality natural materials. You will always be able to visit the website of those who are producing our merchandise to see for yourselves the quality of their work.
