Mauchline Ware - a Burns Quaich -

Today's photo, continuing my Burns theme, is of a piece of Mauchline Ware in the form of a wooden quaich, depicting Alloway's Auld Kirk. I don't know when this piece of Mauchline Ware was produced, but since all forms of Mauchline Ware production ended in 1933 after a major fire, it is a good few years older than me! It is resting on my Ayrshire tartan kilt.

Appropriately, the dark wood was grown on the banks of the River Ayr, and the light coloured wood on the banks of the River Doon. Both rivers feature in a number of his poems and songs.

Mauchline had a huge significance in Burns life: Not least because it was home to Jean Armour, his wife. Amongst many works to Jean, is this short, fun, poem (performed here by Robert Carlyle) comparing her to other lassies in Mauchline.

Tomorrow I am going to end my Blips on the Burns theme with reference to his great work, Tam O'Shanter. But for now, let me leave you with Burns own philosophy on life.

Whatever mitigates the woes,
or increases the happiness of others,
this is my criterion of goodness.

And whatever injures society at large,
or any individual in it,
this is my measure of iniquity.