Whitney Otto

The Reina Victoria Hotel in Madrid sits at one end of the Plaza del Angels. Though grand, it was a little on the shabby side in the 1990s.  We always stayed there because our friend said that it was the preferred hotel of the matadors (and, indeed, during one of our stays, a matador was surrounded by fans just outside its doors).

If you crossed the plaza, then turned down a narrow street, you came upon a shop that sold only sterling silver objects.  It was staffed with older, chain-smoking men whose main characteristics seemed to be irritation and boredom that the shop sold only objects made of sterling silver. 

One of the glass cases held maybe a dozen and a half of these little figures that stood just under two inches and came in a variety of Spanish-themed images. The one pictured here is St. George and the Dragon, patron saint of Spain.  It is wonderful to hold.

The oversized mantel in our living room is scattered with what my husband John calls my “treasures” and another friend refers to as my “shrine.” They’re a mix of kitsch souvenirs, serious art from artist friends, ornaments, lights, and this little silver figure.

I always ask people to guess its purpose.  They usually answer, “Game piece?” even though there is no game. “Paperweight?” even though it weighs nearly nothing. “Religious memento?” “Tiny statue?” “Cake decoration?” No one, in nearly 25 years, has come close. Any ideas?