Ant was a special Dachshund who held his own amongst the much larger dogs and hounds of the Mavros Pack.
Anti came as a distraction for Little Patrick, who was fascinated with snakes and was unknowingly raising a pet Black Mamba. A solution was desperately needed, and so it was that Ant, a velvety, fist-sized ball of wonder was brought to Mpata Farm - where he instantly captured the affections of the Mavros family. Soon he was the only dog privileged to sleep in the house, and woe betide any other beast who presumed to curl up in Ant’s basket.
He may have been small but his personality was huge. Early morning would find him on duty, watching for Catja to put on her walking shoes - then Anti would summon the rest of the pack, playing cheerleader till their enthusiasm was at fever pitch, and all were baying wildly at the prospect of being let loose down the hill.
Because of the real danger from the number of large pythons on the farm, Little Patrick thoughtfully designed the 'The Anti Python Helmet', which was constructed out of a soup ladle pierced with strategically placed six inch nails. This device was fastened to Ant’s head with a thick elastic strap. Pythons rarely attack any horned beast, and the helmet proved an excellent deterrent.
Anti, short of leg and stout of heart, enjoyed a great life in the African sun. He was a champion King Rat killer and expert conqueror of pedigree bitches up to three times his size. His portrait hangs proudly in the flagship store on Fulham Road, London.
He will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by all on Mpata Farm.
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Patrick has been granted the great privilege of being invited by His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, to present a special Royal Exhibition of his work in Madrid this summer.
The event will be held in the Ritz Hotel. There will be several new pieces presented, some of which have been especially commissioned for the Royal Exhibition
Watch the News & Events section for a special report later in the year.
Patrick Mavros in the Press:
In April Patrick Mavros began its association with Barnaby Valentine Public Relations - an exciting young company run by Charlie Hart and Oscar Humphries.
In the three months that the 'PR Boys' have had with Patrick they have achieved notable coverage in The Telegraph, The Financial Times, The Daily Mail and in The Field. Most recently, Patrick's iconic Zim Bangle has been flashed across British television sets every night for the past month being worn by Patrick Kilty, the presenter of prime time TV show Celebrity Love Island...
Here are a few of the articles that have appeared since the opening of the flagship store in London. Because not all of us will have seen these publications, we bring them to you in brief.
Tuesday 5th April 2005: The Daily Telegraph, London
"Come out of the closet, chaps: you know you'd love a bauble or two"
Extract from an article by Oscar Humphries.
...Safari chic is great for wearing every day, from the office to an informal dinner. Patrick Mavros's Zimbabwean Cord bangle, which is a heavy silver cuff, is ideal. Like all of his pieces, it is signed, and at £150, affordable..."
Saturday 6th May 2005 The Financial Times Weekend
"Vibrant Africans dazzle across Europe" Extract from an article by Rachel Spence.
"...the Zimbabwean-born artist may be a world traveller with a new flagship store in London, but he relies on Africa for his inspiration, and he is eager for everyone else to see why...
"I wanted to take to London the experience of the environment that I live in. It's a great continent of intrigues and tribes and wild animals and open spaces (but also) a place to relax. There's the hospitality, the welcome. When people walk in (to the store) they should feel cool, at home. Where can I sit? Where can I relax? That's most important."
A sharp-eyed customer sent us this extract, from the North American luxury travel newsletter, Passport (www.passportnewsletter.com)
Report from London
A handsome new shop in South Kensington, Patrick Mavros, features fine silver sculptures, table accessories and chunky jewelry designed by Mavros, a dashing Zimbabwean farmer-turned-silversmith. Spread over two floors, the shop is decorated with tribal artifacts and archival African photographs, including some of a Mavros forebear who was a Victorian-era explorer. This is the backdrop for the sterling silver works crafted on the family's farm and wildlife preserve near Harare. The finely detailed, collectable pieces include whimsical, animal-topped coffee spoons, a fine brace of partridges and palm tree candle holders. The elephants are modeled and named after animals the artist has known. Prices range from about $75 for the spoons on up, and up, to about $32,000 for a signature sculpture, including packing and delivery. Talk to Patrick's son, Alexander, who manages the shop. Insider tip: downstairs is the nicest loo in South Kensington! 104-106 Fulham Road (SW3). Tel: 44-207-052-0001.
Passport Newsletter - April 2005
For the Bride magazine
May 2005 edition - Home News
"Present and Collect
Ardent collectors of Patrick Mavros' silver sculpture and jewellery no longer have to travel to his studio in Zimbabwe to keep their collection up to date, as a flagship store has just opened in London's Fulham Road. If you are new to Patrick's work, call 020 7052 0001 or visit www.patrickmavros.com to find out more, then check out the wedding list service with an inspiring collection from silver animal spoons and crocodile napkin rings to monkey mustard pots. After placing a list, specially designed cards are sent to guests with regular updates for the bride and groom. Prices start at £35."
Symbol of Fidelity
This charming little antelope is unusual in many ways - if you look up the story on this website you will find out that the klipspringer (literally, rock-jumper in Afrikaans) mates for life, and thereafter the couple never lose sight of each other - till death do them part.
Patrick's sculpture shows the male and female as you would typically see them in the wild - posed motionless on the summit of a rocky outcrop. This habit proved a deadly one; as to a hunter with a rifle they provided an easy target, standing perfectly still and silhouetted against the sky.
Klipspringers are Africa's mountain goats, with the same amazing balance and climbing ability, leaping confidently from rock to rock, going where only a bird could follow. They seem always poised on tiptoe, which indeed is the case: the tiny hooves are almost fused together, forming little cylinders, the edges of which can find purchase in the smallest crack. It is heart-stopping to see them bound over the edge of a sheer cliff - you rush to look, only to spot them far below, moving quietly off to a safer spot.
Leopards also favour rocky terrain, and occasionally they manage to catch a solitary klipspringer. Reliable observers have seen a leopard dragging a klipspringer carcass backwards over roughly surfaced rocks - repeating the manoeuvre again and again until the fur has been largely rubbed off. Why?
Klipspringer hairs are hollow, forming a dense pelt of fine, flexible, loosely rooted spines which could be a form of defence, as they would stick and clog in a predator's throat. It seems that the intelligent leopard has discovered a way to prepare a klipspringer for dinner.
Throughout Africa the klipspringer is admired as the example of a perfect partnership: two can survive life's troubles better than one alone - and that it's good to have someone who will always watch your back.
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