The Mardi Gras season begins in earnest this weekend as the major parades begin rolling through our city. What follows is a look at Gold and Silver and how they are put to their best use in the very decorative traditions of Mardi Gras. With the season in full swing, there seems no better time than now for a look at these two glittering metals. Especially as they play out in the many design arenas of New Orleans! In her recent post on the subject, Things That Inspire poses the dilemma of choosing between the two metals, or compromising on something in between. Gold or Silver you ask! Yes, and lots of each.

This watercolor costume design, entitled "Good and Evil cast Lots for the Soul" was done by Cenelia Bower Alexander for the 1920 Rex pageant. I think it's a wonderful example of the inclusion of both metals within a design and how this adds to the shimmering fantasy feel of silver.

In honor of the season of pageantry, many people decorate their homes for Mardi Gras with the same ardor that people in the rest of the country decorate for Christmas. On one of the mantles in my house, I display my collection of gold crowns entwined with gold Mardi Gras beads. No silver in this display, it's all warm and majestic gold, gold, gold. Except for the antique silver of the mirror itself.

While I was compiling a collection of pictures to include in this post, I was struck by how strongly the traditional design elements of Carnival have influenced my work.

This crown worn by the Queen of Athenians in 1935 is uncharacteristically simple in its opulence. The pave' rhinestone effect screams silver, and this is balanced by an equally over-the-top golden hued plume. Simple elegance and decadence collide. The gold and silver each making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

This Madeleine Chandelier is custom finished in glazed silver leaf. This is the first time we've done this piece in silver, it's uncanny how much the top of this piece reminds me of the tiara in the picture above.

This invitation to the Mistick Krewe of Comus Ball in 1898 is a beautiful example of the theatricality and pageantry of Mardi Gras in the early days. Each object created for these ceremonious revels was a true work of art. This card depicts an actual cup used by the King of Comus to toast his court and other Carnival "dignitaries". The beautiful watercolor rendering depicts the gold cup as truly "golden" and the silvery rhinestones only put the icing on the royal cake.

The Glenda Sconce, finished in Glazed Gold Leaf with its round crystal baubles. The heaviness of the gilding is balanced by the icy clear round balls. A modern nod to the golden age of Carnival and to the fabulous Comus cup.

This is a jeweled bandeau worn by the Queen of The Mystic Club in 1928.

The brushed steel of this table base which we custom made to conform to the oval shape of this room recalls the shimmering solidity of the tightly woven rhinestones in the bandeau above. The glass table top reinforces its icy coolness. Notice how well it plays off the warm gold tones of the rug.

This jeweled sunburst was worn by Winnie Davis as Queen of Comus in 1892. Although it is more than 100 years old, it seems very contemporary, and I'm inspired to create something new in this vein. I've been kicking some starburst designs around for some time, and now I resolve to explore this further in the near future because I love it.

This is a detail of the scepter carried by Winnie Davis when she was Queen of Comus. It is an amazing piece of art. I am absolutely knocked over noticing that the sunburst is repeated, but now it is entwined in a spider's web and there is a golden spider climbing on it. An additonal detail is the plant form which creates the overall shape of the piece and supports the spider web piece. The red jewels in the center reinforce the fiery golden warmth of this piece.

We named this chandelier Queen of Hearts because it was originally made for a very sweet and wonderful person. (We usually name our pieces after the person who we originally make them for). Like the sunburst and scepter, this piece was made for a Queen and the colored crystals add to the warmth and regality of this fixture.

This icy shimmering rhinestone scepter was carried by the Queen of Proteus in 1929. I am wild about its silvery art deco feel.

The legs of this silver leaf table, with their star shape in the center easily recall the scepter above. The bronze stencilling, which repeats the star motif on the silver leafed top, and the brown glazed finish is another example of the friendly coexistence of the two metals.

I'm crazy about this ducal badge from 1889 because I'm a fool for red coral. The golden badge is further enhanced by silvery rhinestones. It is beautifully capped by a crown piece with green colored jewels at the top. I wish I had a picture of a trumeau we did with a coral motif, but alas I didn't get a picture of it.

New Orlenians are fools for anything with a crown on it. This mirror is so fun because it's so New Orleans and because the red underpainting makes the goldness of the crown in the center really resonate.

I'm also pretty nuts for anything with an acanthus form on it, and this crown, worn by Rex, the King of Carnival in 1915 doesn't disappoint. There's something absolutely classic and timeless about the acanthus form and I can't get enough of it...and rendered in gold inlaid with silvery rhinestones...who could resist?

Not so surprising that I'd come up with a chandelier that pays homage to this shape. When the decorator who ordered this one asked for it to be done with a gold band and silver acanthus shapes, I initially had my doubts, but in the end I think it came out beautifully. We've done a few pieces with this combination and it's pretty popular. I think that the brown glaze marries the two metals and makes for a really nice effect. The Artemis Chandelier.

This krewe favor, given by a masker to a lady after dancing is from the Proteus ball in 1892. I included it here to show another happy marriage of gold and silver tones used on the same piece.

These regal rulers from 1915 and their pages are the epitome of carnival opulence. The king sports a golden train while the queen's is silver trimmed in ermine. Silvery rhinestones adorn the white satin finery and white feathers complete the scene. The celebration of Mardi Gras is about not holding back. It is the opposite of "Less is More." It is royal and it is beautiful, but it is not subtle. Gold and Silver abound!

As I said before, in New Orleans we treasure our Mardi Gras traditions, and we love to decorate with things that remind us of this. This powder room is a celebration of New Orleans motifs. It is in a home that took on 8 feet of water following Hurricane Katrina. It has been beautifully restored and is a testament to the homeowners who chose to rebuild and to the spirit of our city. The mirror is decorated with an urn and acanthus shapes which might be found on a modern day Mardi Gras float. Reflected in the mirror is a custom Corona Chandelier hung with crystals. The Ella Sconces drip with crystals reminiscent of carnival finery. Not pictured, but below the wall mounted faucets is a metal vanity which is hung with golden garlands. This space vibrates with golden wonder and celebrates the "More is More" doctrine.

Given the choice between gold and silver, what does one do? Choose one or the other,OR choose some of both. What a majestic idea!

With the exception of the second to last photo, all Carnival pieces pictured were taken from Henri Schindler's wonderful Mardi Gras Treasures of the Golden Age series. The photo of the Mardi Gras royal court is from "If Ever I Cease To Love" by Charles L. Dufour and Leonard V. Huber.