Comments on: Austen Only Emma Season: Blunder And Dixon Concealing a Deeper game

By: Ramya

Ramya — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:26:39 +0000

Now it is so clear! Thanks, Julie!

By: jfwakefield

jfwakefield — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:13:36 +0000

Mine were made from long pieces of ivory carved into a letter and then sliced, as you do cookie dough. An intricate but fascinating process I agree.

By: cathyallen

cathyallen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:14:33 +0000

I agree with Deb, above, that these are really beautiful. I have trouble imagining how they were able to create these intricate letters from IVORY, of all things. We have a few ivory objects, and they are quite fragile; carving such detail would take a real master at the craft! (I am ever the artist/crafter being amazed at how something is created, LOL!)

Thanks for the fascinating insight, Julie!
CEA

By: jfwakefield

jfwakefield — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:39:58 +0000

In chapter 41 the reference to “letters” is to the ones with which the characters are playing the rather nasty game:

The quietness of the game made it particularly eligible for Mr. Woodhouse, who had often been distressed by the more animated sort, which Mr. Weston had occasionally introduced, and who now sat happily occupied in lamenting, with tender melancholy, over the departure of the “poor little boys,” or in fondly pointing out, as he took up any stray letter near him, how beautifully Emma had written it.

The stray letter refers to one of the alphabet letters Emma had created , not a piece of correspondence.

By: Ramya

Ramya — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:22:06 +0000

I did not realize that Mr. Woodhouse was talking about the “scrabble” letters. I was thinking it was a letter Emma had written to someone. Who says Emma is too lazy?

By: jfwakefield

jfwakefield — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:33:35 +0000

Deb I think you will love Behind Closed Doors. It is VERY readable. I devoured it then went back and savoured every bit on a second read. If it was only available on Kindle I know I'd always have it with me!

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:28:59 +0000

The little ivory box is beautiful. I had pictured something like Scrabble tiles when I read this scene–yours are much more interesting.

By the way, I ordered the new Amanda Vickery book after devouring her previous one. It was very enlightening and I have high hopes for the new one!

Deb in Wisconsin

By: jfwakefield

jfwakefield — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:15:55 +0000

Thank you! I know just how you feel (which is why this site exists,I suppose)- solving some tiny point in the text can keep me up at nights. I will tell you one day of the joy when I finally found an illustration of a tea board after searching for one for years!

By: Alexa Adams

Alexa Adams — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:13:37 +0000

That helps enormously. Thank you for the comprehensive answer – this has long been something that puzzled me. You are a remarkable wealth of information.

By: jfwakefield

jfwakefield — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:46:39 +0000

Oh yes, they were certainly made commercially by makers of "toys" - not in our sense of the word, but in the 18th century sense of objects of virtu and curiosity-and there is a collectors market in them today. Emma most probably bought a blank set of ivory tiles-which were also available for purchase by accomplished ladies - to be decorated for her nephews at home. Mr Woodhosue fondly remembers, IIRC- how beautifully Emma had written the letters, so I rather get the impression she had written in ink,the alphabet on small pieces of bought and turned ivory or wood. Does that help? There is another one I know of on display at Chawton at the Jane Austen House Museum: very similar to mine but kept in a very different and more elaborate box. I love the fact that the curators there always ensure that their alphabet always spells out Blunder and Dixon too, in its display cabinet.