| THE EPISTOLARIAN |

In the late eighteenth century, at the Palais Royal in Paris, the engraver Brasseux Aîné introduced a small, inconspicuous object. It looked almost like an empty bullet shell, a slender brass tube with smooth, unadorned walls. Inside though, it housed tiny, and rather ornate wax seal disks, which could easily swap in and out of the handle for new designs.

For a brief period, these wax seal étuis were made, used, and collected. Then, for reasons that remain unclear, they disappeared almost as quickly as they had arrived.

For years, I sought them out. I admired the slight variations, evidence of continued refinement by Brasseux Aîné and the engravers who followed him. Yet, I found myself wondering most about the who lived with étuis. Which desks they sat on. What letters they sealed. What events they grappled to articulate. Which designs each person liked most. What conversations happened in their proximity. I wondered about the people specifically, each single, unknown life.

When I finally decided to revive the tradition and launch the Hastings Étuis, I wasn't thinking about me the maker so much as the many hands who would love and hold them. Each étui is meant to last at least 300 years, though I suspect they will endure as long as humanity.

Of course, the modern étui is still a case, but it is no longer fixed. It is fine art, and as such each is signed with my signature.

Historically, each came with a set group of designs, chosen in advance, closed. The new ones are open. They begin with three seal heads, what I call pennies, but they are meant to grow. To be added to, rearranged, curated. Over years, over decades, over generations.

As they move through hands, each collector decides how they will shape it. Ideally they keep the initial 3 pennies, but beyond that, they decide, much like a garden, which flowers to choose for their bouquet. This too is the art.

At its core, the étui is a vessel. It carries the pennies, and the pennies carry meaning, a symbolic language that speaks to us in each moment and through generations.

To a larger extent, though, the étui is a vessel through which souls across space and time communicate. When we hold these handles, we hold hands with those who came before and those who will come after. We step into quiet moments of creativity and beauty, where time itself seems to pause.

The first edition is about the beginning. It marks the moment the Hastings étui entered the conversation. It is about letters, and also about fun.

The second edition is about the helix. Through these creative rituals of connection, we spiral higher. We may move through seasons that seem to loop, but at each turn, like a helix, we are transformed.

The helix speaks to these rituals within society as well. A society that celebrates beauty and leisure, and that, in elevating the inner life, elevates society as a whole.

The Helix Edition

This edition asks what you’re growing into, and what, along the way, begins to feel lighter.

These are works of fine art. Each is signed and numbered. I made 249 of this edition, and have about 15 on hand right now to send.

The April penny will be offered first to those who have collected the étuis.

Color of the Week: Gemma Blue

On the second day of the retreat, Gemma joined us, almost by accident.

That afternoon, she mixed a blue at the table, combining Yves Blue Wax with Pontresina White Wax, creating the most intoxicating shade. I’ve been calling it Gemma Blue.

If you want to make it, it’s roughly three parts Pontresina White to one part Yves Blue.

The Next NYC Retreat

Enrollment for the next NYC Retreat will come soon. In the meantime, I'd recommend penciling in the dates. We're planning on gathering May 13-15, 2027. More details to come. 

The Ranunculus (7 remain)

Just 7 ranunculi remain. In Victorian bouquets, the Ranunculus meant, “I am dazzled by you.” This seal simply dazzles me, and I hope you love it too!

As Seen In: Victoria Magazine

Kathryn Hastings has two features in the upcoming issue of Victoria Magainze (May/June) issues.

There you are, Emma!

This week’s episode turns toward Emma Hamilton, a woman too often reduced to scandal, and restores her to the full complexity of her life. This is an episode I have been working on for over five years, shaped carefully through letters and archives. It's my intention that we meet her as she lived, and perhaps recognize something enduring in her story.

With love,

Kathryn