MANGOSTANO - PAINTED NATURAL

DETAILS Height 6cm Width 6cm Weight 4.1oz Materials: Gypsum, acrylic  Plinth Cube / Plinth Star: H 4.5cm / Gypsum   As the story goes, in the 19th century Queen Victoria offered one hundred pounds sterling and a knighthood to anyone who could deliver to her a mangosteen in edible condition. This tropical fruit from Southeast Asia only flourishes in tropical climates and keeps for a very short time. But the mangosteen has been described as “intoxicatingly luscious”, “melts in the mouth like ice cream” and “the very culmination of culinary art”, so you can see why she desired one so much. They are known as the queen of tropical fruits, but not because of Victoria. Paired with the heating effect of durian (the king of fruit), the cooling effect of the sweet and tangy mangosteen is said to reflect the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. Hence the “royal couple” is commonly consumed together. Mangosteens were banned in the United States until quite recently in 2007. The prohibition was beneficial though, as their scarcity has only added to their allure.     Please note each item is made by hand and slight variations / tiny bubbles are part of the natural curing process