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Roosters Rule the Roost!

September 17, 2010 By Jaima 1 Comment

oIt ‘s no wonder that  people and countries love the rooster. It is a symbol of pride, honesty, courage, vigilance, strength and arrogance.  In French, often the rooster is named Chanticleer, which is the name of this aqua wallpaper print from Jaima Brown Home.

In France  the Gallic Rooster is the French national emblem.  Often called” Le Coq” in french, this brilliant creature adorned the French flag during the French revolution in 1848 where they won and therefore the rooster became their emblem representing power and strength of the  nation.  It was also put on a 20  French franc gold coin in 1899.  This sealed the deal!

Today, even the  national rugby and soccer teams of France use the rooster emblem when  playing internationally. The rooster and the chicken are often used in products from France and Italy.   Apparently a story exists from the 17th century  that Henry IV is quoted saying “ If God allows me to live, I will see that there is not a single laborer in my kingdom who does not have a chicken in his pot every Sunday”.   The tradition has been handed down and there is still a love for these enchanting motifs which can be found on various products like cooking crocks, designer fabrics and wallpapers, china, pillows, furniture, rugs and stemware just to name a few. propecia dosage alt=”” width=”575″ height=”748″ />

A gastronomic writer in the 19th century, Brillat Savarin said ” the fowl is to the kitchen what the canvas is to painters”. This is so true but they also make terrific subjects for paintings.  There plumage is usually bright and colorful  reflecting their  arrogance and vigilance; a perfect physical trait demonstrating part of the roosters symbolism. In dreams the meaning is reflecting time passing as well as being a time keeper. If the rooster  is crowing then it means one needs to take note of their surroundings as something is telling us to be aware of what is going in ones daily life.  If you dream of seeing a brightly colored rooster then you are to show your true talents to others. So in other words “strut your stuff” as they say.

The rooster in the Chinese zodiac symbolizes honesty, physical and moral fortitude. It also signifies fortune, luck, fidelity, protection and bossiness. Of course, you can see this in the rooster as it struts it stuff around the barnyard, holding its head up high celebrating life while  being in charge as well.  In Japan, roosters run free amongst the Shinto temples as they are considered sacred symbols for Japan.  They are often represented in Japanese silk paintings.

Historically, Weathervanes usually took the forms of the Greek God  Triton who was the god of sea but when the Roman Empire changed over to Christianity, the motif became a rooster. This influence came from the Bible where Jesus was translated saying ” Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times”  and therefore the rooster came to symbolize the repentance of the saint as well as the resurrection of Christ.  With this symbolism,   many rooster Weathervanes were found on church steeples. Of course, they became popular and  spread to being used  on  top of barns and  homes. As roosters  symbolize watchful vigilance, it is the perfect emblem to  protect one from evil.

Images: rooster on barn from westcoastweathervanes.com;rooster on church steeple in Prague, Czech Republic;church steeples;rooster on a stone chimney

When it comes to decorating, roosters and chickens have been always popular with designers. They  instantly make  kitchens and dining rooms  have a French or Italian look while giving the room an air of sophistication.  The  tiny guest powder room below was transformed into  a mini design haven for guests.   One rule of thumb in decorating is to use dark dramatic papers in guest  powder rooms as they will always be remembered. So at Jaima and Co. we used the  “Chanticleer” wall paper, added antique french mirrors while being updated with granite for  the corner sink.  Also added was a small black and white lattice print on the ceiling with molding to create a cozy decor.

Images from www.jaimabrownhome.com and Jaima & Co. private images.

Designer fabrics like IL Galo from Clarence House add a touch of whimsy to any room.


Images of IL Galo from www.clarencehouse.com and the toile fabric is from newyork.backpage.com

So “Cocka Doodle do” for now!
Jaima

Filed Under: Symbolism of Pattern Series #1 Tagged With: chanticleer, chickens, decorate with roosters, designer fabrics, le coq, rooster china, roosters, weathervane

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Comments

  1. Sport Clips Coupons says

    August 18, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Wow, this was a really quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done.

    Reply

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