Is that a Pineapple in Your Waistcoat …… ?

Is that a pineapple in your waistcoat or are you just happy to see me? Playing on Mae West's famous quote, I'm back to my statues and pineapples! I think the conversation between this somewhat giddy pair near the pineapple pagoda in Veitshöchheim's Rococo garden could be full of double entendres! 

Looking at the bulge in his waistcoat I'm certain he's hidden a pineapple (as mentioned in previous posts, the most desirable must have of the late 17th and 18th C) and has promised this girl a quick peek if she follows him into the garden! 

The details of the clothing on both of these figures is just amazing, especially as I love researching historical dress! Fabulous. Not only does Tietz deal with folds masterfully but just look at the way he handles lace and embroidery in stone. 

The figures themselves are situated opposite each other and are definitely flirting, between them is a covered passage leading to a hidden pavilion where one could of course present your pineapple in privacy, none of this would cause a scandal in today’s society (except the price of the pineapple at 5000€ in today’s money), but the palace was the summer residence of Prince bishops, so one would expect a little more decorum (although to be fair these figures are fully clothed, others on the other hand are orgies of boobs, bottoms and bulging…… muscles.) 

How far our taste in bodies has moved from these figures is really interesting, she has a very projecting tummy and her come hither pelvis is sending definite signals (hinting at fertility perhaps) in his direction. He has a very definite low slung paunch, (if you didn’t have one you padded your waistcoat or underwear to achieve this fashionable look!) and is definitely thrilled with her advances, he can’t wait to get his pineapple out, just look!

Ahhhhhh, the look of love (or lust?), doubt you'd find anyone getting this excited about a pineapple these days. To be fair women weren’t averse to using their feminine wiles when hunting for a husband, I seem to remember the story of a young French aristocratic lady-in-waiting, whose beauty (or rather lack of it) proved to be an obstacle in attaining a rich husband, she obviously was aware of her most attractive feature so she contrived to fall off her horse in front of a rich aristocrat, revealing her pert, plumptious, pink, dimpled derrière!(No knickers then). The man in question was thrilled with the booty (double entendre) and married her as quickly as decency would allow. 

I hope my flirty, frivolous post has helped you get a feeling of the atmosphere of the Rococo and this garden, I think I can still hear the echo of a rustling silk skirt and the sound of footsteps on gravel running into one of the hidden pavilions. See you next Wednesday!