Two years ago, my mother and I were killing time in a store off the beaten path in the univeristy district. I found a table of intriguing candles poured into frosted glass bowls and packaged in silk hat boxes. Labeled as the "Dangerous, Rare and Obscure Botanica Collection," they were scented with poisenous flowers (Angel's Trumpet, Nightshade, Cobra Lily...) and looked like something one would find in old Miss Havisham's mansion. Or a curiosity shop. Or possibly a Tim Burton movie. The owner of the store noticed how transfixed I was. "Oh, those are made by a really interesting fellow. His name is Douglas Little and he wears a curled moustace, silk tie and top hat. He actually grows these poisenous flowers in his backyard. Since we started carrying his line, I've saved every article from our correspondence. The stuff he writes in a simple email is incredible. He is really from another era. A true fin-de-siecle."
He apparently took it to the next level with his recent additions (Modern Alchemy line) including:
Boston Tea Party (English black tea thrown with brackish seaweed absolute)
Ex Libris ( A library basically. Parchament and leather bound volumes)
Salem (Burning wood: New England maple, hickory and walnut)
Tincture of Winchester (Gun powder and smoke)
Opium Den (Smoldering resin, opiates and tobacco fumes)
Speak Easy (Gin, pipe tobacco and wood)
Cake Walk (Madagascar vanilla, chicory and cotton leaves)
Beautiful. I am hoping to secure one of these for the long Japanese winter ahead. I have visions of Casey and I huddled in a tatami room with blankets, stacks of books, icy hands and the humming kerosene heater. And one of these candles would definitely add ambiance, if not help mask the kerosene fumes.
