Ottaviani Sculpture

Ottaviani Sculpture

Back in the day, Lord Kerfuffle’s favourite holiday destination was the Italian Riviera. He would frequent the beautiful shoreline, visit with friends who had retreats in the hills and they would watch crowds from cafes. Kerfuffle always wanted people to leave him with a warm glow so had a habit of randomly complimenting strangers and pointing out their favourable features. He loved that it made them smile and with each one, felt enthusiastic and passionate to get on to the next one. He found people fascinating and could find something positive in even the most surly passerby.

One day, he sat down next to an elderly gentleman who looked particularly forlorn. He told him that he had felt inspired to reach out to him and see if his day could be improved. The man looked at him with sadness and said that he had lost his wife the year before; she had told him to return to their holiday location on the anniversary of her death and look for a sign from her. He had been wandering around all day and was beginning to lose hope as the sun began to set. Lord Kerfuffle felt at a loss for how to cheer him up and instead just sat with him for a few minutes. The gentleman was so caught up with his sadness, he didn’t notice the crowds disperse and the local wildlife start to emerge. Kerfuffle loved this and eagerly pointed out to him the pair of doves nestled in a nearby tree. The man looked at the birds, then back to Kerfuffle with tears glistening in his eyes. ‘That’s it,’ he said fondly, ‘that’s my sign!’

Kerfuffle smiled at the man and asked him how he knew. The gentleman returned his gaze, beaming, and said ‘Her maiden name; it was Dove’. They sat together for a while, the man had silent tears streaming down his face. Gradually his tears subsided and gave way to a warm smile. He took Lord Kerfuffle by the hand and drew him into a hug, thanked him and turned to get something from his bag. When he turned back, the Ottaviani sculpture he was holding he passed over. He explained that it was a treasured memento of a trip they had taken there together and he had wanted to leave it somewhere as an act of remembrance. Now he wanted Lord Kerfuffle to have it, if it wasn’t for him, he would have missed his wife’s sign.

When Lady Swish became his wife, he gifted it to her with the story of how he came to have it. She insisted they share it and frequently recounted the tale to their children and grandchildren as time went by.

Specifications

Beautiful silver sculpture of three people dancing on a large glass ball. Made by Ottaviani, Italy circa 1970’s.

Size: 19cm