Greta Garbo as Mata Hari
Mata Hari was a dancer, courtesan and allegedly, a spy. She was born in 1876 (as Margaretha Geertruida Zelle) in the Netherlands. When she was just 18 she replied to an advert in a newspaper from an Army Officer looking for a wife. She married Rudulph MacLeod and together they moved to Java in the East Indies. It was here that Mata religiously studied the eastern culture and Indonesian dance in particular and this is where she changed her name which in Indonesian, meant "Eye of the sun". The marriage didn't work out and after two children together (who both subsequently died), the couple divorced 1906. After this, Mata moved to Paris where she struggled to support herself working as a circus horse rider and an artists model. She then gained recognition and acclaim as an exotic dancer helping to lead the modern dance movement and captivating many men along the way. As well as a stage name, she concieved a story that she was born a Hindu Princess of Java. She was known for her nude photographs wearing only a bejewlled bra and her act which included stripping herself of her clothing to reveal her bewelled body. As a courtesan, she had many relationships with high ranked men including a German Prince who paid for her luxurious lifestyle.
With World War I approaching she spent her time travelling between France, The Netherlands, Spain and Britain to avoid battlefields. During this time, she was interviewed and admitted to working for the French Millitary Intelligence as an agent but it remains unseen to this day, whether this was a lie. In 1917, Mata was arrested in her Paris hotel room and put on trial accused of spying on behalf of Germany and causing the deaths of at least 50,000 soldiers. Found guilty she was executed on 15 October, 1917 aged 41.
Mata reportedly blew her executioners kisses and said "Merci Monsieur" before flinging open her robe to reveal her naked body to the audience which happened to include a former lover. She also stated "Harlot, yes, but traitor, never,".
After her death, her body wasn't claimed by any family members but her head was embalmed and kept at the Paris Museum of Anatomy but an inquisition in 2000 discovered that the head had been missing since around 1954.
Her mysterious story remains an fascinating enigma- the exotic dancer working as a lethal double agent, using her powers of seduction to extract military secrets from her many lovers. Her story caught the attention of Hollywood and they made the film that I spoke of earlier.. I must see it to learn more about her story.
She is my current muse, perhaps the original Femme Fatal- I am enthralled by her/her life! And her amazing body adornments are really inspiring me to get into jewelry making, something I've been meaning to do for a while now!!
