December 18, 2012 |
The handsome yet unusual object you see here on this page is a trump indicator. It is by Cartier. In the world of my imagination, a trump indicator is a tool that lets you know where your favourite person, Donald Trump, is at that exact moment. With a trump indicator you would never again wonder if he was in Trump Towers or admiring his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You could keep tabs on that fine head of hair at all times without suffering from the usual stalker stresses, such as the object of your desire slipping from view when you are following them down the street at a safe distance. It would help ensure that all your special correspondence would actually make it to Donald. There would be no risk of him being away and therefore not receiving your carefully thought-out threats that have been lovingly cut and pasted from newspaper letters. Alas, the world of my imagination is not the real world and, as of yet, nobody in the real world has come up with a tool that would allow me to track The Donald from the comfort of a desk. Well, I suppose he could wear an ankle bracelet, but somehow I don’t think he’d be very keen. In the real world, a trump indicator is a gizmo that used to be placed on the table during games of bridge to help players remember what the trump suit was. It was very popular from the late 1800s to the early 1930s. The rarity of trump indicators these days would indicate an improvement in memory in the bridge-player community, or the sudden increase in pen and paper use, which doesn’t have quite the same élan. The one here is from 1907. It is made of gilded silver, silver, pink quartz, a moonstone, and is covered in a transparent, grey-blue enamel on a guilloché base, and opaque white, red and black enamel. The colour of the trump appears when the button is pressed. It has a height of 13.4cm. It looks a bit like a Cyclops, or some other otherworldly creature, maybe from the sea. It really is a rather handsome object. It would look nice on the fireplace. And could be used to remember other things, such as did I brush my teeth? Have I fed the cat? Have I taken all my pills? Did I remember to call Donald and declare my undying love for him for the 10th time today? It’s time to bring the trump indicator back.
by Natalie Dembinska
