On the move

This rather stunning Chinese pagoda form sedan chair

having a rattan domed roof over a rectangular carriage, the sides lacquered in red and gilt ornamentation, the seat fitted behind paneled doors and side windows. 78.5"H x 39"W x 38"D, poles 99"L, Circa - 1850-1888, is for sale at the Dallas Auction Gallery and would make an interesting conversation piece for anyone with a large enough hallway. Although more modest, the sedan chairs used in Hong Kong, as below, were a popular form of transportation before the rickshaw.

Sedan chairs, or their equivalent have been used in many cultures throughout history. The litter is a class of wheelless vehicle, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica (ancient Rome), jiao (China), sedan chairs (England), palanquin (also known as palki) (India,Pakistan), gama (Korea) and tahtırevan (Turkey).

Circumstances have forced me to consider bringing forward a plan I was not quite sure how to implement. My maid returned from her Songkran holiday to tell me that she needed to leave at the end of April, to go and look after her father, who is to undergo an operation. The short notice is of course tiresome to say the least, as trying to find a replacement, either temporarily or permanently is proving quite difficult, and the thought of retraining someone to suit my ways and requirements makes my heart sink.

But it has opened up an opportunity, and that is to examine the possibility of carrying out some remodelling in the flat we have been mulling over from time to time. If we did this, it would require us, (and all our goods and chattels) to move out for the duration. It would also make sense as the renovation of the condominium is about to start, and it would be quite good to not be living here as the place is given its face lift.

But anything like this is of course unsettling, and we have yet to weigh up the pros and cons.

Watch this space, as they say.