That makes SCENTS
Terms of endearment at the museum
After many years supporting The Kauri Museum at Matakohe, the odd term tussie mussie has a firm place in my vocab.
Despite having zero skill as a florist, I thought I knew a small posy of pretty flowers constituted a tussie mussie – or a tussy mussy or tusee musee. But it’s not quite that simple.
At The Kauri Museum’s annual Settlers Day, a team of talented florists worked hard out for hours making tussie mussies by the dozen from baskets of flowers in a riot of colours which might clash as clothing but dazzled when assembled in these tiny bouquets.
They began life in pre-Victorian times when they were called nosegays — combining “nose” and “gay” meaning ornament. Back then everyone stank because they didn’t wash. These minibouquets quelled the smell.
Queen Victoria took them to another level by folding the stems of stock, a scented flower, to capture the perfume.
Given royalty has the means to enjoy fine things, pretty soon nosegays were contained in silver vases – and these tiny, now antique, vases are also known as tussie mussies. Back then “tus” meant a flower cluster.
When we’d arrived at the museum, we met a friend dressed Victorian style riding side saddle on her horse and another young woman zipping around in a gig pulled by a mini-pony.
As we meandered, we met other volunteers dressed in grand outfits of yesteryear. One told us she’d been assessed as looking very ‘upstairs’. Surely not too many settlers, with the challenges they faced and a sorry lack of servants, managed to pull off that look.
Volunteers made prints, shod a horse, played music and guided and entertained the many ambling visitors. The feeling of warmth and sense of pride and camaraderie were something special.