Description
Every morning at seven, the cardinal arrived in Mrs. Abernathy’s garden before she had finished her first cup of tea. He always perched on the old stone sundial among the roses, red as a holly berry, and sang until she came out in her dressing gown with a scoop of sunflower seed. The neighbors joked that they could set their clocks by the pair of them.
After she moved to a smaller home with no garden, her neighbors gave her this porcelain sundial with its cardinal perched on top, trimmed with delicate painted flowers. She set it on her kitchen windowsill, facing east, so that every morning the sun would find it first. Some days, she says, she can almost hear him singing again. Give it to a gardener, a bird lover, a friend who has recently moved, or anyone who believes, as many do, that a cardinal’s visit means someone dear is near.
The particulars
- A cardinal perched atop a garden sundial
- Trimmed with dainty painted blossoms
- Made by Rochard
- Feathers and flowers painted by hand on porcelain crafted in Limoges, France
A comforting sympathy gift, a housewarming present for a keen gardener, or a cheerful companion for a sunny kitchen window. It is a reminder that the brightest moments often arrive early, along with the first song of the day and the warm light on the sill.
