Antiquities, Artwork and Craftsmanship (click to

Art, Mosaics, Antiques,
Stained glass, Sailing
Ship Models…
180 Abrams Mountain Road, Islesboro, Maine 04848,
“The Froggery”
Where it all started…
A house with a View –Une Maison Avec Vue
Main Entrance mosaic
Carriage House Entrance Mosaic
Eurus The Wind God -- Ruling Over
the deck
Main Bath - Geisha in her bath. Original
Mosaic from Woodblock Print Ukiyo-e Edo Era
Fleur de Lys
Over 30 Original Stained Glass Pieces
Merlin The Magician
Original Boat Models: Drakkar Viking Boat
(1:12 scale)
Grand Admiral Zheng He (鄭和) Great Seven
Mast Sailing Vessel Ming Dynasty Fleet 1400’s
From Ming Chinese Woodblock Prints
The Ming Imperial Fleet 1400 v. Cristobal
Colon (1492)
L’Unicorne
Cluny and Bruges Tapestries
La Dame a la Licorne
La Dame a la Licorne
L’Unicorne
Playing MahJong
Original Oil paintings on Canvas and
Leather
The Fitting Room
Sailing Scenes
S/V Tosca In a Gale
Africasso Style Renderings of Classics
La Traviata, Libiamo ne’ lieti calici
Africasso Style
Goya’s Famous “Maja” Portraits
Africasso Style
Goya “La Maja Vestida”
Africasso
Goya’s Famous “Maja” Portraits Africasso
Style
Goya “La Maja Desnuda”
Dozens of Original Lithographs
Steinway Grand Piano
Steinway Grand And Steinway Upright
Two Classics
Qin Shi Huan (鄭和, 210 BCE) First
Chinese Emperor Army Standing Guard
Original Sculptures. Xi’An Soldiers
Standing Guard over Two millennia
Guiding Mariners to
a Safe Harbor
Augustin-Jean Fresnel (17881827)
Light reinvented
Channeling Light into an all
Powerful engineered “Laser”
Beam
Original Fresnel
Order 2 Lantern
San Augustine
Lighthouse , Florida
Ocean Liner “Normandie” Art Deco
Armchairs Reeditions
A Haven of Peace –Shoji Screens, Japanese
paintings Eydo-u style
Playing Mahjong. Quing Dynasty game
table and chairs
Quing Dynasty “Emperor’s” armchairs
Semi Lacquered Ming nested tables
High Back Quing Dynasty Chairs
Quing dynasty Furniture
Chinese19th Century Herbal
Medecine Cabinet
Low cabinet
Ming Dynasty Nested tables, Semi Lacquer
finish
Welcome below deck
Kyoto on Penobscot Bay
Slides Notes and Sources
Where it all Started (Slide 1)
Bronze marker at the top of Abrams Mountain. Set by the US Coast and Geodetic
Survey, Triangulation Station, 1934
Mosaics (Slides 2-8)
A series of original mosaics designed by artist Charles Barone, renowned for his
work especially in stained glass, including restoration of many of the Tiffany’s
skylight in public buildings on the East Coast. The mosaic range from the entrance
to the main house and the carriage house, to a rendering of the Wind God Eurus
from a Greek fresco, and finally the piece de resistance, Geisha in a Bath, from a
Ukiyo-e woodblock print (Edo era.). The mosaics were hand designed and made in
Lebanon.
From Geisha Wooblock print: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ukiy/hd_ukiy.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e
Original Design Stained Glass pieces (Slides 9-11)
Artist Charles Barone Designed and created several dozen original stained glass
pieces featuring themes ranging from the maritime to the classic themes.
Especially noteworthy is his rendering of “Merlin the Magician”. The stained glass
piees are throughout the house yet without interfering with the spectacular views
out to sea and the Japanese grounds.
Scale Models of some of some of the most significant sailing vessels in
world history (Slides 12-18)
The famous Viking Drakkar (“Long boat”) the pinnacle of naval architecture in 600-1000 AD was
reproduced to a 1:30 scale from the Oslo museum computer files by Marc Farham, renowned
model builder in Cape Town South Africa (slide 12-13)
https://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum/index.html
http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Anse_aux_Meadows.) Getting that exact replica with the blessing
and invaluable help of the Viking boat museum curator in Norway
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Ship_Museum_(Oslo))
The Chinese Ming Imperial Fleet (1400 AD) under the command of Grand Admiral Zheng He (鄭
和)
featured the famous seven mast gigantic ships that dwarfed Columbus vessels by a factor
of over 1 to 20.
Zheng He http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0507/feature2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheng_He
Reeditions of Famous Tapestries: Cluny and Bruges (Slides 19-21)
La Dame a la Licorne
L’Unicorne
Oil Paintings on Canvas and Leather (slides 22-29)
Series of paintings by contemporary Chinese artists whom I became friend with and have grown
to know over the last 10 years. They range from the Modigliani style scenes (“The Fitting room,
“Playing Mahjong”) to sailing scenes
Andile Dyalvane. A famous contemporary South African artist known for his work on leather and
ceramic work. For the bar below deck he took t several famous scnes I suggested to him and did
his “Africcasso” style rendering. They range from the famous “drinking song” scene from the
opera La Traviata to Goya’s Majas’, both dressed and nude. Now exhibiting in NY
Africasso La Traviata, Libiamo ne’ lieti calici https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9euSdD_p2E
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_maja_vestida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_maja_desnuda
http://www.friedmanbenda.com/exhibitions/upcoming/andile-dyalvane-camagu
http://www.friedmanbenda.com
Original Lithographs (slide 30)
Steinway Pianos (slides 31-33)
Steinway Grand
Steinway Upright
Both completely restored
Sculptures: Xi’An Soldiers (slides 34-37)
Xi An
http://www.chinahighlights.com/xian/terracotta-army/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army
Fresnel Lighthouse Second Order Lantern in main staircase (Slides 3839)
Fresnel:
https://www.google.com.hk/search?rlz=1C1CAFB_enHK615HK615&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=935
&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=fresnel+lantern+for+lighthouse+order+2&oq=fresnel+lantern+for+lighthou
se+order+2&gs_l=img.3...5293.9977.0.10922.17.16.0.0.0.0.143.698.15j1.16.0....0...1c.1.64.img..
2.0.0.fq9ll6PYiyk#imgrc=ilmiXk9qSp0s8M%3A
https://www.google.com.hk/search?q=fresnel+lantern+for+lighthouse&rlz=1C1CAFB_enHK615
HK615&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=935&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYxP
eXjafNAhVJFpQKHRN2BBgQsAQILw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustin-Jean_Fresnel
http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/closeups/illumination/fresnel/fresnel.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_lens#Lighthouse_lens_sizes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_lens#Lighthouse_lens_sizes
http://lighthouselens.com/items/list.php?id=2&title=Fresnel%20Lenses
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg092/artifacts/docs/HistoricLensGuidelines.asp
Art Deco Club Chairs Reedition of SS Normandie (Slides40-41; 57)
Art Deco thrived during the golden era of the Transatlantic ocean liners where much of the furniture
reached its most exquisite expression, along with Shanghai during the ‘30’s. The club chairs have been
hand made to perfectly replicate the SS Normandie iconic club chairs. All clad in rare water buffalo
hides.
Japanese Shoji screen and paintings throughout master bedroom and
bath for a haven of tranquility and rest (slides 42-47)
Chinese Ming and Quing Dynasties furniture (Slides 48-57)
Outside Japanese grounds – Kyoto on Penobscot Bay (Slides 58-61)
The$Froggery$–$the$Untold$Story!
John!Blin!
October!26!2015!
!
Froggery: a gathering of frogs; frogs collectively, 1785; A place in which frogs are kept for
breeding or (in later use) as pets.
Act$1!
A$unique$private$retreat$–$if$you$can$reach$it.!
$
!
For!nearly!all!its!history,!180!Abrams!Mountain!Road!bore!no!name!and!no!number.!It!didn’t!
exist.!Only!the!mountain.!Just!like!Cadillac!Mountain!twenty!miles!north!on!Mount!Desert!
Island.! In!1610!when!Samuel!de!Champlain!first!landed!on!“Longue'Isle”!as!he!christened!it!
(“Long!Island”)!claiming!it!as!part!of!New!France!history!didn’t!record!what!he!called!this!
mountain.! But!a!welcome!navigation!landmark!it!was!then!SS!just!as!it!is!now.!And!he!would!
have!used!it!to!sail!into!Penobscot!Bay.!As!he!followed!the!shoreline,!his!eyes!could!not!have!
missed!that!sheltered!spot!formed!by!a!slight!drop!in!the!300Sfoot!cliff!set!off!against!the!sea!of!
spruce!just!above!the!beach,!all!the!way!to!the!mountain!top.! While!he!may!not!have!heard!
their!croaks,!frogs!were!certainly!not!far!off,!merrily!frolicking!in!a!very!large!pond!West!of!the!
“mountain”.! Little!did!they!know!that!many!moons!later,!their!heirs!would!be!feted!with!their!
very!own!bespoke!private!retreat!–the!Japanese!grounds!of!what!is!today!180!Abrams!
Mountain.!
Fast!forward!–!four!hundred!years.!
!
The!year!is!2005.!I!had!just!decided!not!to!buy!one!of!the!private!islands!off!the!coast!of!Maine.!
What!then?!
I!had!long!sailed!the!waters!of!the!Gulf!of!Maine,!sailing!past!Islesboro!many!times.!Little!did!I!
know!that,!one!day,!this!very!spot!would!in!fact!become!the!site!of!a!lifetime!design!endeavor.!
One!that!would!come!to!consume!a!decade!of!my!life.!That’s!when!I!discovered!that!landlocked!
magical!spot,!Abrams!Mountain,!with!its!unique!stunning!view!of!Penobscot!Bay.! Unbeknownst!
to!me!I!was!seventy!years!late:!the!US!Coast!&!Geodetic!survey!had!already!found!it!and!! !
marked!it!in!1934.!The!perfect!spot!from!which!to!triangulate!the!islands!and!the!coast.!Indeed,!
they!set!an!engraved!bronze!marker!right!at!the!top.!Seventy!years!later,!I!had!just!rediscovered!
that!long!buried!marker!!
And!the!inaccessible!mountain.!
All!23!acres!of!it.!Available!for!purchase?!Maybe.!!At!a!price?!You!bet!SSand!then!some!! Oh,!
and! one!more!thing:!it!was!landlocked.!You!actually!could!not!get!to!it!without!(1)!trespassing;!
(2)! parachuting!in;!or!(3)!mounting!an!amphibious!landing!worthy!of!my!Viking!ancestors.!No!
access!road,!no!path,!nothing.!
What!struck!me!at!once!was!how!the!place!felt!like!the!coastal!islands!of!Japan,!Korea!or!
Northern!China.!Close!your!eyes.!Let!the!fog!roll!in!and!out,!hiding!the!trees!and!the!ledges!in!its!
embrace.!Playing!hide!and!seek!with!the!ocean!below!and!the!sky!above.!Leaving!just!an!
impressionist!canvas!of!grey,!white!and!blue.!You!are!not!just!on!Islesboro,!Maine,!USA.!You!are!
also!on!Hokkaido,!in!Qingdao,!or!any!of!the!picturesque!islands!of!Northern!Asia.! The!feeling!
was!uncanny.!!!A!magical!spot!you!could!only!dream!of!–!but!couldn’t!get!to.!
!!!
!So!here!you!had!it:!the!most!exclusive,!private!mountain!retreat!with!extraordinary!views!of!!!
Penobscot!Bay,!all!to!yourself.!In!Chinese!the!signs!for!“crisis”!(challenge)!Weiji'(
)!and!
“opportunity”!Jihui'(
)!are!near!siblings—they!share!one!root,'ji'( ).!How!appropriate!I!thought!!
The!link!to!these!Northern!Asian!islands!ran!far!deeperSS!more!ominous,!yet!more!alluring.!
Here!was!the!ultimate!design!challenge:! turn!this!priceless!exclusive!private!retreat!into!a!
unique!space!–but!don’t!disturb!it.!!It!would!take!the!genius!of!Frank!Lloyd!Wright!to!pull!this!
off.! Think!Falling'Waters:!don’t!fight!the!environment,!make!the!structure!part!of!nature’s!
canvas.!Fuse!it!into!vanishing!boundaries:!no!telling!where!nature!stops!and!structure!starts.!
Never!an!alien!be.!That!challenge!is!precisely!what!Japanese!gardens!do!so!brilliantly.!!Always!
part!of!nature!as!if!it!had!been!there!asleep!all!along.!And!now!awakened!by!a!symphony!of!
wood,!granite,!slate!and!bronze.!All!carefully!choreographed!into!a!unique!design.!
First!off,!banish!the!traditional!New!England!style!white!wooden!structures!that!line!the!coast!
of!Maine!in!brash!contrast!to!the!woods!and!jagged!coastline.!!Maine!SS!yes.!That’s!where!the!
mountain!and!the!bay!and!the!spot!is.! Beyond!that!stay!away!from!Maine!typical!structures!
and!grounds.! As!far!away!from!it!as!one!could!ever!imagine.!Take!the!best!of!Asian!and!
Western!design!and!build!a!priceless!private!retreat!that!is!both!an!architectural!gem!and!a!feat!
of!fusion!design!inside.!
A!challenge.!
An!opportunity.!
Two!years,!one!road!and!much!ledge!blasting!later!we!were!good!to!go:!a!gigantic!canvas!upon!
which!to!summon!the!inspiration!of!the!greats.!“First!do!no!harm”!was!the!motto!of!the!young!
architect,!a!Wright!student!and!worshipper,!who!took!up!the!challenge!to!turn!our!unschooled!
drawings!of!what!we!visualized!into!a!true!masterpiece.!Reading!from!his!master’s!playbook,!he!
cradled!this!exquisite!structure!into!the!cliff’s!arms,!using!the!very!building!materials!that!were!
there!all!along:!wood,!granite,!slate.!And!glass.!Glass!everywhere.!Both!inside!and!out!to!
complete!this!visual!tour'de'force:! make!one!feel!at!once!part!of!the!scenery.!! Later!the!same!
idea!inspired!the!use!of!shoji'screens!in!the!master!bedroom,!the!carriage!house!and!the!tea!
house.!The!material!used,!the!color!palette,!very!gentle!shades!of!light!green!–!mind!the!frogs:!
they!were!there!long!before!and!will!be!there!long!after.!
!
!
Act$2!
A$house$with$a$view$??$Une$Maison$avec$Vue!
Step!in!through!the!main!entrance!on!the!West!side.!
An!original!design!large!mosaic!sets!the!stage!
!
!
!
!
!
You!are!facing!East!as!the!wind!rose!says.! Right!in!front!of!you!through!the!glass!front!of!the!house,!
rising!three!stories!high,!here’s!Penobscot!Bay,!the!way!you!can!never!see!it!again!anywhere!else!on!the!
island!or!even!at!sea.!This!is!the!only!East!facing!spot!where!you!are!high!enough!(300!feet)!and!with!a!
wide!lens!180!degrees!unobstructed!view!of!the!bay!and!all!the!islands!in!front!of!you:!Northhaven,!
Vinalhaven,!Mount!Desert,!dozens!and!dozens!of!island!for!your!eyes!to!feast!on.!As!you!step!into!the!
foyer!the!view!is!breathtaking.!
!
While!a!post!and!beam!structure,!it!in!fact!does!not!strike!one!as!the!key!feature.!For!aside!from!making!
the!airy!soaring!structure!possible,!free!of!pillars!and!other!aesthetic!eyesore!supports,!the!red!oak!
structure!with!all!the!intricate!woodwork!is!more!reminiscent!of!the!great!wooden!yachts!of!the!gilded!
age!than!anything!else.!The!striking!feature!is!the!curvaceous!deck!lines!and!the!symphony!of!woods:!
red!oak,!white!oak,!mahogany,!poplar,!Brazilian!cherry,!purple!heart,!ebony.!All!set!together!in!a!
carefully!choreographed!production.!Wood,!granite,!slate,!glass,!bronze.!Stainless!steel.!That’s!it.!Hardly!
any!plaster!or!such.!And!painting,!sculptures,!mosaics,!stained!glass.!Each!one!with!their!own!individual!
history!and!their!provenance!from!my!worldwide!travels!and!love!of!art!–in!all!its!incarnations.!
As!we!walk!in!and!look!forward,!the!eye!can’t!help!looking!up!and!up!to!the!soaring!ceilings!and!the!
gracious!curves!of!the!various!“decks”!–yes!“decks”!as!in!the!iconic!luxury!ocean!liners!of!the!30’s.!That!
is!now!straight!from!the!I.M!Pei!signature!verticality!playbook.! That!magical!way!in!which!he!makes!
outside!space!“come!inside”,!making!one!feel!like!soaring,!never!closed!in.!while!the!structure!looks!
unobtrusive!so!as!not!to!disturb!the!environment!and!the!terraced!ledges!outside,!inside!the!eye!is!
drawn!upwards!three!decks!up,!as!if!in!fact!inside!had!morphed!into!open!sky.!Just!like!on!an!ocean!
liner.!To!complete!the!montage'here!are!the!gracious!curves!of!the!deck!railing!with!bronze!posts,!
mahogany!handrails!and!stainless!steel!safety!lines!like!a!classic!yacht!has!just!come!ashore!perching!
itself!on!top!of!the!cliff.!The!curves!of!course!owe!much!to!Santiago!Calatrava!–!long!before!he!had!
achieved!rock!star!status!in!the!architect!hall!of!fame.!
Let!us!proceed!through!the!front!door,!past!the!mosaic.!In!that!large!foyer!a!compelling!focal!point:!a!1:!
12!scale!exact!replica!of!a!Viking!Drakkar!boat!(“long!boat”!as!they!are!sometime!called!in!America).!The!
boats!that!conquered!Europe!between!600!AD!and!1100!AD!and!discovered!America!6!centuries!before!
Columbus.! That!model!sits!there!on!a!glass!table,!as!if!suspended!in!air,!after!landing!on!the!beach!300!
feet!below.!And!in!fact!it!could!very!well!have.!For!a! few!hundred!nautical!miles!north,!the!full!size!real!
version!did!indeed!land!in!Newfoundland! (“L’Anse!aux!Meadows”;!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Anse_aux_Meadows.)!!Getting!that!exact!replica!with!the!blessing!
and!invaluable!help!of!the!Viking!boat!museum!curator!in!Norway!
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Ship_Museum_(Oslo))!took!a!lot.!To!Marc!Farnham,!master!
professional!model!builder!in!Cape!Town!goes!all!the!credit.! And!to!the!curator!who!graciously!shared!
their!computerized!files!of!the!real!Drakkar.!
!
Looking!left!hailing!from!Xi’an,!Emperor!Qin!Shihuang!bronze!warriors!are!keeping!guard!of!the!ship,!
along!with!their!much!larger!terra!cotta!siblings!on!each!side!of!the!granite!chimney.!To!the!left!of!the!
foyer!is!the!drawing!room!with!a!special!assortment!of!the!best!of!western!and!Asian!art!and!
furnishings.! Along!the!West!window!is!a!Steinway!grand!piano.!!Above!the!chimney!is!a!classic!Cluny!
tapestry,!“La'Dame'a'la'Licorne”,!(http://www.museeSmoyenage.fr/collection/oeuvre/laSdameSaSlaS!!
licorne.html)!
!
On!the!North!wall!a!sailing!scene!(“Sails!at!sea”)!by!Chines!artist!!Cao!Guang!Wen!! (曹廣 completes!
the!décor.!As!we!move!East!towards!the!bay!to!take!in!the!stunning!view,!two!Emperor!style!antique!
late!Ming!dynasty!red!lacquer!chairs!await!the!contemplative!soul,!looking!to!luxuriate!in!the!ocean!
view.!Nested!green!Ming!side!tables!with!rattan!tops!complete!the!fusion.!
!
As!we!rest!sitting!in!front!of!the!chimney!one!feature!becomes!apparent.!Light!goes!through!the!house!
from!North!to!South!unimpeded!shining!through!a!series!of!stained!glass!original!works!by!master!artist!
Charles!Barone.!
!
!
Now!turn!South!and!walk!towards!the!kitchen!and!dining!area!and!the!glass!atrium!at!the!South!end!and!
the!same!fusion!is!everywhere.!From!stained!glass!original!pieces!(“Merlin'the'Magician”!in!the!Atrium!
and!“The'Parrots”!between!the!atrium!and!the!dining!area,!to!slate,!bronze!and!stainless!steel,!the!link!
across!designs!and!cultures!is!unmistakable!SS!down!to!the!Chinese!gong!calling!guests!to!a!sumptuous!
meal.!
We!now!have!a!choice!we!can!head!up!to!the!secluded!master!bedroom!and!observation!deck!area!
through!the!spiral!staircase!linking!the!upper!decks,!main!deck!and!below!deck!area!(bar!and!all)!or!we!
can!continue!exploring!the!main!deck.!Let’s!head!south!and!visit!the!ground!floor!bedroom,!with!its!
nautical!theme,!its!antique!early!Ming!low!dresser!and!mid!Ming!night!stands!all!in!red!matte!Chinese!
finish.!!!Along!that!North!South!corridor,!a!series!of!stained!glass!with!a!unifying!theme!line!up!the!West!
side!from!the!bedroom!door,!the!bathroom!and!then!the!laundry!room,!including!see!though!19th!
century!bubble!glass!upper!windows!to!let!the!setting!sun!light!right!through!to!the!east,!through!the!
kitchen!and!beyond.!
!
On!the!wall!are!some!original!lithographs!including!a!very!moving!original!piece!depicting!the!rescue!of!
the!officers!of!confederate!ship!CSS'Alabama'by!its!hunter!USS'Kearsage'off!the!coast!of!Cherbourg!
(Normandy)!in!1864!(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kearsarge_(1861)!CSS!Alabama’s!luck!had!
finally!run!out!after!being!hunted!by!the!USS'Kearsage'for!several!years.!
Walking!up!the!main!stairway!a!large!Fresnel!lantern,!once!the!heart!of!every!lighthouse!around!the!
world!since!the!1820’s!to!1960!because!of!its!remarkable!prism!optics!that!concentrated!light!beams!to!
unmatched!density!Sto!this!day.!It!achieved!this!feat!through!exceptional!prismatic!engineering,!which!
has!never!ben!bested.!Virtually!impossible!to!find!this!Fresnel!lantern!used!to!guide!mariners!into!San!
Augustin!harbor!in!Florida.!Today!it!guides!us!into!this!haven!of!privacy,!peace!and!tranquility.!
As!we!walk!up,!various!lithographs!of!famed!defenses!of!the!America’s!Cup!by!such!legendary!yachts!as!
Volunteer'and'Thistle'prepare!one!for!another!exceptional!model.! A!1:50!replica!of!Grand!Admiral!
Zheng!He!Admiral!ship,!heading!the!Ming!Imperial!Fleet,!hand!carved!in!rosewood.!These!sailing!
monsters!20!times!larger!than!Columbus!diminutive!ship,!with!seven!masts!and!over!800!men!aboard!
plied!the!oceans!for!several!centuries!rounding!the!Cape!of!Good!Hope!long!before!Vasco!de!Gama.!!On!
the!wall!next!to!it!another!Cluny!tapestry!(L’Unicorne)'sets!the!visual!stage!for!the!media!room.!Several!
oil!on!canvas!painting!by!Liu!Lian!! (劉
“Playing'MahJong”,'“The'Fitting'room”'showcase!some!of!the!
most!original!contemporary!Chinese!painters,!reminiscent!of!Modigliani!and!his!elongated!faces!with!
searching!eyes.!Turning!South!at!the!top!of!the!steps!one!of!the!most!charming!bedrooms!feels!like!the!
posh!cabin!of!a!classic!luxury!wooden!yacht.!
!
The!game!room!features!an!original!Chinese!Mah!Jong!table!and!chair!set!while!the!media!room!offers!
the!comfort!of!a!cushy!sectional!for!movie!screening!or!just!plain!relaxing.!
As!we!follow!the!upper!deck!along!the!rail!we!arrive!into!a!very!private!area!with!an!office,!observation!
deck!over!the!atrium!and!finally!the!master!bedroom!S!a!complete!Japanese!setting,!shoji!screens,!oil!
and!acrylic!reSeditions!of!traditional!Japanese!woodblock!UkiyoSe!print!themes.!An!antique!Chinese!
herbal!apothecary!cabinet!matches!the!sober,!uncluttered,!lessSisSmore!décor!fitting!for!a!place!of!rest!
and!relaxation.!!And!the!piece'de'resistance'in!the!master!bath!is!a!large!mosaic!interpretation!of!a!
famous!UkiyoSe!era!woodblock!print!bath!scene!(“The'geisha'in'a'bath”)!
Heading!back!down!the!spiral!staircase!the!atrium!features!several!original!stained!glass!works!by!
Charles!Barone,!one!in!particular!endowed!with!extraordinary!lightness!and!modern!lines,!Merlin'the'
Magician.'As!we!pass!the!main!deck!and!head!below!deck!into!the!bar!area!another!artistic!surprise!
awaits.!In!keeping!with!the!Art!Deco!cum!Ming!furniture!of!the!house,!two!styles!which!blossomed!
together!in!Shanghai!in!the!‘30’s,!large!ocean!liner!style!leather!club!chairs!await!the!guests,!with!a!bar,!
wine!cellar!and!walkSin!cigar!humidor.!The!art!work!on!the!wall!is!three!original!pieces!by!Andile,!a!very!
wellSknown!South!African!artist,!using!oil!on!leather!and!in!a!style!now!known!as!“Africasso”,!each!piece!
with!a!story!attached!to!it.!The!bar!drinking!scene!draws!its!inspiration!from! the!famous!!aria!from!La!
Traviata,!Libiamo'ne’'lieti'calici' (Check!out!Pavarotti’s!live!performance!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI3tZgFz8RE).!To!round!off!the!festive!atmosphere!two!more!art!
works!complete!the!show:!both!Africasso!free!spirited!reinterpretations!of!Goya’s!Maja'Vestida'and!
Maja'Desnuda.''Open!a!bottle!of!fine!wine,!step!up!to!the!second!Steinway!in!the!house,!the!junior!
sibling!to!the!grand!in!the!living!room!on!the!main!deck,!and!you!will!spend!many!wonderful!evenings!
below!deck,!in!a!bar!where!even!the!ceiling!is!a!perfect!replica!of!that!of!a!schooner.!Complete!with!the!
salvaged!remains!of!a!schooner!mast!that!dismasted!at!sea!in!the!Penobscot!bay!30!years!ago.!After!
paying!your!respects!to!the!wine!cellar!and!the!humidor,!head!north!stepping!through!a!massive!
watertight!steel!door!straight!from!the!Bath!Iron!Boat!yard!and!Iron!works,!and!the!Typhoon!class!
submarines.!You!would!be!forgiven!if!you!start!hearing!the!opening!score!of!The!Hunt!for!Red!October!!
It’s!not!the!effect!of!generous!libations!from!the!bar.!It’s!the!setting!that’s!sinking!in.! As!you!continue!
North!another!watertight!massive!door!offers!access!to!the!engine!room!where!all!the!hardware!that!
makes!this!house!so!comfortable!and!complete,!resides.!
Now!walk!back!up!to!main!floor,!to!head!straight!onto!the!outer!deck!and!take!in!the!Bay,!with!a!perfect!
180Sdegree!view!of!the!whole!Penobscot!Bay.!
Now!Act!3!awaits!SSS!the!grounds!
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Act$3$–$Kyoto$on$the$Bay!
$
There!are!two!areas!as!the!ledges!rise!up!towards!the!top!of!the!mountain,!the!Tori!gates!and!the!tea!
house.! The! lower! grounds! and! the! upper! grounds.! The! slide! show! is! the! best! way! to! enjoy! the! stroll.!
Suffice!it!to!say!that!in!Spring,!with!your!very!own!private!Cherry!blossom!festival!it!is!a!feast!for!the!eye.!
And!a!haven!of!peace!and!tranquility.!Go!ahead,!step!out!and!wander!through!the!exquisite!grounds.!
You!are!both!in!Maine!but!also!in!Kyoto,!Hokkaido!or!any!of!the!marvelous!gardens!that!define!Zen!and!
mental! balance.! As! you! walk! through! the! Tori! gates! heading! to! the! tea! house! they! take! on! their! full!
meaning:!you!are!indeed!leaving!the!world!of!the!mere!material,!hustle!and!bustle.!!!And!you!enter!a!
spiritual!world!of!tranquility!and!harmony.!