Wassail Merch
Description: In the folklore of nightlife and revelry, no creature shines brighter than the Wassail. These gluttonous beings thrive on excess. They populate the grandest nights of our lives - if only we could remember them. As we survey the aftermath of a big night out and find only empty bottles and remnants of devoured and struggle to comprehend how the night spiraled into chaos we often remember glimpses of the Wassail and easily dismiss them as 'pink elephants'.
Description: Charles Mackintosh, 1868 - 1928, Scottish architect, designer and artist, husband to Margaret Macdonald. Both famous Art Nouveau, Symbolist artists from the last century. Featured here, 'The Wassail' is an image of the original gesso wall frieze made for a ladies tearoom. Gesso was applied over stretched hessian giving it a textured look with earthy colours. His wife, Margaret was commissioned at the same time to do a very similar panel which was also hung in the tearoom labelled, 'The May Queen'.
Description: Waes Hael is an ancient Old English phrase meaning "be in good health" or "good fortune," often used as a toast or blessing. Rooted in Anglo-Saxon traditions, it embodies themes of community, well-being and celebration. The term is historically associated with the custom of wassailing, where people shared spiced cider or ale during festive gatherings, particularly in midwinter.
