Chinese Lanterns Redux in Post-War America

I’ve posted rather a lot on Chinese lanterns and their role as a symbol of the Jazz Age and Chinoiserie in Western literature (here, here, here and here). Nice to see then that contemporary authors seeking to recreate the rather louche environs of history (in this case just post-war privileged America) use Chinese lanterns in their work to evoke the era and mood.

This from the recent best seller, Liza Klaussman’s Tigers in Red Weather (details below)…..

‘As the party drew near, Nick seemed to get lost in the minutiae of Chinese lanterns and silver polish…’

“Nick and her cousin Helena have grown up together, sharing long hot summers at Tiger House. With husbands and children of their own, they keep returning. But against a background of parties, cocktails, moonlight and jazz, how long can perfection last? There is always the summer that changes everything”