Three views of the diplôme presented yesterday to Architect en Chef Alain Tillier in the Abbot’s Garden at Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye - one showing the work-in-progress, one showing the finished piece, and one with a raking light to show the gold “lit up”.
Unfortunately we were late for the event having gone to throw ourselves into an icy cascade on our half-day off from teaching here; but had the good fortune to walk through the stone archway into the garden at the precise moment when Madame the Mayor thanked bookbinder Christopher Knight for referring her to us, and then “Amanda and Keith Adams*” for the diploma about to be presented. It looked as though we were right on cue.
*Unfortunately she somehow said Keith’s name wrongly, but I couldn’t make out exactly how wrongly, so I can’t type it here.
The paper is just some I happened to have with me, hoping to use it - I believe I got it from Benoît Furet, but I’m not positive. Schminke gouache, metal pens, gold leaf on a synthetic “assiette”. Very simple owing to time (and budget) constraints. No flashy innovations…
I wish I had a photo showing it with the mayor’s signature; but I didn’t even get a look at that myself. There is a blind-ruled line above her name where she was intended to sign.