Weddingbee

Mr. Canary and I were visiting Boston last weekend (thanks to fabulous fares on BoltBus) and decided to stop by for the opening of Wedded Bliss, a new exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Now I know what you’re thinking… aren’t you supposed to be witch hunting in Salem? Well yes, you can do that along with visit many other historic sites, but I think the PEM is a hidden gem. It’s the perfect sized museum and for any sailing or boat aficionados out there, it has a great collection of nautical history and memorabilia. Not to mention the museum’s prized exhibition is an awesome Chinese house that was transported brick by brick and then re-built on-site as it was in China.

At first, Mr. Canary and I were scoffing at the idea of a whole exhibition devoted to marriage and weddings, but we actually had a great time! Not only were there great demonstrations and other interactive programming, we learned a lot from the exhibit itself. It was like going to an abridged historical bridal show.

There were five rooms and each was dedicated to a specific theme. The first room was Wedding in White, which you may have guessed was mostly about the power of the white wedding gown and all the culture and tradition associated with it. I just loved walking into the room and seeing it like this.

The other pieces I loved in this room was a paper dress called Dada Poem Wedding Dress by Lesley Dill. The dress was sculpted in paper and screen printed with an Emily Dickinson poem.

The second room was titled, Artful Negotiations, and displayed pieces associated with dowries and various items gifted during courtship. I loved these Japanese clam shells for a game called kai-awase (shell matching game) which shows images in pairs from The Tale of Genji and was part of the bridal trousseau of aristocratic/affluent families.

My favorite room was Color and Symbolism in Wedding Attire. I always knew that red was an important color in Asian weddings, but didn’t know that its significance was primarily because the color is associated with blood, life giving energy, love, happiness, fertility, good fortune, beauty, and wealth. The room was filled with beautiful wedding attire from many different cultures as well as accompanying explanations about each piece. Mr. Canary and I also spent about 30 minutes watching various videos on traditional wedding customs from various countries. The Chinese one was pretty interesting because it was about a small country wedding and most of it highlighted the sadness of a daughter leaving her family to be with her husband’s family, which is something that is rarely considered in Western weddings. I also loved this example of a traditional Chinese costume. I told Mr. Canary that oftentimes, the bride’s face was covered by a silk cloth the entire wedding day and grooms did not see their brides until the night of the wedding after they were married. He found that pretty amusing.

Chinese wedding gown, late 19th century, silk, gold metallic thread, China, Dennis Helmar photographer, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the estate of Julia C. Deane, 2001. {Image from here}

The fourth room, Art and Ceremony, had many examples of headpieces traditionally worn by brides as well as other examples of ceremonial decoration and necessities like a ketuba and chuppa. This amazing crown caught my eye and I stood mesmerized for a few minutes noting all the detail and handiwork (who am I kidding… I was staring at the bling!)

Nuptial Crown, 1884, Russia: St. Petersburg, Silver, diamonds, velvet, height: 5 3/4 inches, diameter: 4 inches, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens; bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973 (ACC. No. 17.36) Photograph by Edward Owen.  {Image from here}

This was the crown worn by the last Russian empress, Alexandra on her wedding day. It was pretty spectacular in person!The final room, Remembrance, featured random pieces that commemorated weddings and also items that addressed the trials and tribulations of marriage. I was particularly interested in this fanciful quilt made from vintage fabrics and images. I thought the main quilted piece of two wedding bands inscribed with “With this ring I thee wed, Until I changed my mind” was pretty hysterical.

Fractured Wedding Ring: Divorce Attorney’s Quilt, 2005, Teddy McMahon Pruett, vintage and recycled fabrics, Lake City, Florida, Walter Silver photographer, courtesy of the artist. {Image from here}

All in all, it was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon observing wedding traditions and seeing everything from a bird’s eye view for once and ignoring my massive wedding to-do list. If you’re in the area, definitely stop by and check it out. It took Mr. Canary and me about 1.5 hours to look and interact with everything. The exhibition will be up through September 14. Also if you’re interested, the museum is hosting some really fun workshops and talks that include a letterpress class and a panel discussion on gay marriage.

To visit:
Peabody Essex Museum
East India Square
161 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970-3783 USA
Phone: 978-745-9500, 866-745-1876

Open daily 10 A.M.-5 P.M.

Have any of you seen the exhibition or visited the PEM before? I personally think it’d be pretty awesome to have a wedding there!