When she met with Boldini now, Marthe was too embarrassed to admit she was having difficulty making ends meet, though she suspected the artist realized something was amiss when she informed him she could no longer afford to hold her monthly salons.
“With the wartime rations now, one needs to buy nearly everything on the black market.” She shook her head. “The cost for everything is just exorbitant.”
“I am in the same position,carissima. I’ve had to lower my commission price, but the cost of all my supplies is inflating. Canvas is now particularly high because they need it for the war.”
She smiled at him. “And I was going to ask if you’d perhaps like to buy another one of my precious ceramics,” she laughed. “I suppose I’ll need to pay another visit to Ichiro instead.”
***
She dressed in chiffon for her visit to Ichiro. The dove gray that had always been a favorite of Charles’s, the color that offset her eyes. She also put on the strand of pearls from Charles, the ones she swore to herself she would never sell unless her situation became dire.
By this point, she had little of her remaining ceramic collection left. That afternoon, she placed her melon gourd vase in its original bamboo box and brought it to the shop.
Typically whenever she returned to Ichiro’s, a calm came over her. With its dark wood interior and shelves that were never overcrowded, but instead were maintained to showcase the beauty and rarity of the objects displayed.
But this time, when she arrived at the store, Ichiro looked as though he was not setting up new inventory, but was rather packing it all up to be shipped someplace else.
“Ichiro,” she gasped, unable to mask her surprise. “Where is all of this going?”
“Back to Japan.”
“But for heaven’s sake, why?”
He reached behind his neck and untied his smock, placing it on the ladder in front of him.
“I’m afraid, Madame de Florian, I will be returning there as well.”
“I don’t understand.” She stepped closer to him. “You always seemed to do so well here, and you have your clientele that deeply appreciates you...”
“Paris is not the best climate for a Japanese anymore. The war has taken a toll on business. And things from the Far East are no longer in fashion as they once were.”
“Oh... ,” she murmured. She held the bamboo box that she had wrapped with a silk scarf closer to her chest. “I’m not so sure you’ll be interested in buying this back from me, then...”
He smiled at her. His face, like hers, had changed over the twenty years since she had first come through his door. His once-black hair was now nearly white. His skin reminded her of the porcelain she had gifted Boldini years before, the one with the cracked ice glaze.
“Let’s have some tea in the back, like old times...” He gesturedwith his hand for her to follow, and together they walked behind the curtain.
***
“What have you brought me today?” he asked her, after he returned from putting the ladder away and came over to his desk with two steaming cups of tea.
“The melon gourd vase... ,” she answered forlornly. “I’ve held on to it as long as I could...” She had placed the bamboo box on the desk while she waited for him. Now she rested her palm on its lid.
“I am certain you will find it another good home.”
Ichiro’s eyes met hers. They had known each other for so long that he sensed without her having to explain further that she had reached a point where she could no longer survive without selling something worth a lot more than just a vase.
“I will buy back the vase. It’s a rare piece and I know several collectors, both here and in Japan, who will be happy to have an example from an imperial kiln. But I feel I must give you some advice about something else.”
He looked first into her eyes, then down at her neck. His eyes rested on her strand of pearls.
“I must tell you, as a good friend, some information I have recently learned from some acquaintances back in Japan.”
He took a deep breath and placed his hands on the table.
“I am aware there are ongoing efforts to cultivate pearls. The trials now are in their beginning stages, but I have heard that they are making great progress.
“I believe it would be prudent for you to now consider selling your pearls.”
