Great Etsy treasury by Thelongacreflea: The 1885 Home

robinseggbleun... $78.00	TurtleHillShop $125.00	thelongacrefle... $180.00	EitherOrFinds $35.00
robinseggbleun... $298.00	marypearlsvint... $112.00	Dentwood $40.00	phunctum $10.00
MISSIONMOD $49.00	ohiopicker $24.00	marypearlsvint... $4.95	momentofnostal... $18.00
LizAArt $40.00	ourtimecapsule $45.00	RustAntiques $12.00	SusieQsVintage... $10.00

Just spotted this great Victorian treasury on Etsy: so many fantastic finds!
Congrats to Thelongacreflea :)

April News and Sales!

Some new additions to my collection of British chinoiseries!

Just a little note to say that I have been quite busy lately which is why I haven't posted any entry on this blog for a while :S

I have been looking for new finds to sell in my Etsy shop and have discovered some great things on the way! Among them is this stunning pair of Edwardian vases:

Alton Pottery, Japanese-style pair of Famille Noire vases, c. 1910. For sale here.

Being obsessed with anything related to British orientalism, I couldn't believe my luck! I absolutely love them and will be happy to keep them for a while ;-)

Another great little find:

Hand-painted sparrow vase, signed 'Arnaldo'. For sale here.

A very pretty sparrow vase, hand-painted and signed 'Arnaldo'. I don't know much about this piece but I think it's quite charming :)

There are more new finds on my website, so don't hesitate to take a look! I also have a new April sale with some very good deals.. I 'm in the mood for a little Spring cleaning! :)

Bon appetit! Using still life pictures to decorate your kitchen

When I noticed that a neighbour was throwing away this vintage painting, I couldn't help but ask him if I could keep it. My lovely neighbour was happy with me taking it away and I was excited to have finally found THE picture I was looking for to decorate my kitchen!

Okay, the painting was in a grim frame and had a nice layer of dirt on it. However, it was worth spending time cleaning it as I love the idea of decorating kitchens with this kind of pictures. Here are some stylish kitchens with this type of vintage-style still lifes:

(Above the chopping boards, on the right) Katrin Arens's kitchen, photograph by Jordi Canosa.

Above the stove - from the CountryLiving website.

Susan Jenkins's colourful kitchen / art gallery

On Etsy, one can find any kind of still life pictures, vintage or not, often for a very reasonable price. Here are some of my favourites:

Pomegranate and Turnip, original oil painting by SuzannesStudio, $35.

 

Paint by numbers still lifes by Kitschcafe, $22.

Vintage still life oil on board by Vintagehomerecycled, $31.

 

Something a bit different: beaded still life by LoverlyVintage, $18.

Jalapeno and a Half by Polly Jones, original still life, $50 at PollyPainting.

 

What about you? Do you dream of a vintage kitchen? How would you decorate it? Please share your ideas in the comments below ;-)

Happy leap year day (or the day your girlfriend may propose)

Happy leap year day! 

According to an ancient British tradition, leap years are the only time when women are allowed to propose marriage to men. Some claim that this tradition dates back to the 5th century, when St Bridget of Kildare complained to Saint Patrick about women having to wait so long to get a proposal. Saint Patrick then decided that women would be allowed to propose marriage to men every leap years, thus balancing the relationships between genders in the same way that leap year day balances the calendar.

In 1288, Queen Margaret of Scotland passed a law forcing any man refusing a marriage proposal to offer the poor girl a kiss, £1 or a silk gown (which is quite cheap and insulting compared to the girl's disappointment, I think). In Denmark, he would have to offer twelve pairs of gloves (to cover her shame of not wearing an engagement ring) and in Finland, enough fabric for her to make a new skirt (I don't quite get what is the explanation or symbol behind this tradition, though).

Finally, the traditional way of dressing up for proposing on leap year was to wear breeches. However, probably because of the low success rate, breeches were replaced by a pretty red petticoat.

Personally, I don't give a Mason jar about leap year day. However, good luck to anybody who knows about this tradition and plans to propose today! If it is the case, you may be interested in these Etsy finds:

Pretty 1890s breeches by Greatestfriend, $380.

Red crinoline petticoat by Pistolpoppy, $28.

Vintage leap year comical postcard by Imagesofthepast, $6.

Victorian man wedding ring by AncientAdornment, $70.

And for more comical postcards about women proposing on leap year, take a look at this Slate magazine page.

Happy leap year day to all again!

Great news!

The Hospices in Beaune, Burgundy.

I am finally back after great holidays in France! Unfortunately, because of family obligations I didn't have the time to look for interesting antiques to take back to the UK... Hopefully, next time will be different! Anyway, I spent a fantastic time in Beaune (Burgundy), and recommend it to anyone who's into great food, wine and beautiful landscapes and architecture!

When I came back home, I received some great news from Woolley and Wallis, the Salisbury salerooms: I am going to work in their Asian Art department in April-May! I am so eager to start as it'll be a great opportunity to experience work in a busy saleroom. I'll also learn a great deal about Chinese art and antiques - I am so excited about it! I will keep you posted as it goes ;-)

Website of Woolley and Wallis, Salisbury salerooms

Finally: about my DIY project. I now know what I am going to do with my cast-iron bracket! I need to find the right tools and accessories, but be sure that I'll post some pictures of the final product when it'll be done!

Bye for now, and have a great weekend ;-)

Ally

A week in France!

Just a short post to say that I'm going to France from Wednesday 15 to Tuesday 21! I won't be able to add any new post to this blog during this week; however, I'll keep my eyes open for some French vintage treasures and antiques and I'll share my discoveries (if I make any) here when I'm back!

Have a great week and see you soon!

Ally

New antique DIY project: repurposed cast iron bracket

I finally have access to the Internet again and I am now trading from the other side of Oxford!
To start this new era, I found an exciting antique DIY project:

I discovered this antique cast iron bracket hidden under a bed of ivy in my new garden. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would end up in my studio :)

Now that I have cleaned it, I have a couple of decisions to make:

- do I get rid of the original white paint (half gone), then leave it in rusty colour, or do I paint it again in white (or black)?

- (the fun part) what do I do with it? Here are some ideas:

• use it as a bed ornament or headboard...? 

(image from European Antique Market blog)

(Image from Man_of  Steel on Flickr)

• use it as a banquette arm (love this idea - but difficult as I don't have this kind of sofa):

(Image from Susan Burger Living Beautifully)

• Make some kind of lamp out of it?

(Image from Under Spanish Moss blog)

• or just sell it? :o)

I need your help to decide wisely! What do you think would be the best option? Do you have any other idea about how to repurpose it? Please let me know in the comments below :-)

Vintage love is in the air!

I'm in the mood for (vintage) love! Check out these beautiful and romantic finds on Etsy:

vintage lingerie / ... DearGolden $60.00	Victorian Valentine... LaMeowVintage $25.00	ANTIQUE VICTORIAN S... RobinsNestMidw... $90.00	Antique Lot of Love... reginasstudio $9.95
1823 Large 3-Page M... bananastrudel $90.00	Vintage Italian Mos... CatsEyeFinds $68.00	1960s lingerie / v... DearGolden $42.00	10K Gold Antique Ar... laurenrosedesi... $329.00
Vintage Amor Framed... JaanasVintage $25.00	1950s burlesque fre... laboheme $50.00	Vintage Victorian S... atticism $14.00	vintage victorian l... FrenchFrouFrou $9.95
Vintage Welsh Love ... BlueAngelJewel... $12.50	1900s Antique beade... KellettKreatio... $79.00	Antique French post... minouc $3.00	Silver Valentine Ar... SundayandSunda... $1495.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Are you planning a vintage Valentine too? If yes, let us know what you are doing in the comments below! :)

Today's Etsy Treasure: Cocteau vases

 

Today's Etsy Treasure is not an antique per se but what I consider as an antique of the future . These two exquisite vases are available for $275.00 on Mascarajones's Etsy shop, here.

This set of vases by Jean Cocteau are incredibly stylish works of art. I am convinced that Cocteau's art is still undervalued and it is worth investing in it before it gets too expensive (which I am sure, will happen soon). Mid-century designs are doing incredibly well at the moment - in particular on Etsy- and these vases have such clean lines that they could fit in any interior.

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) was a French all-round artist, famous for his poems, plays, designs, movies and art. His movie Beauty and the Beast (1946) is probably his most famous work (being French myself, I must say that I have seen it broadcast on French tv many, many times). This movie is a beautiful black and white adaptation of the well-known fairytale. Cocteau used new movie technology of the time to create a fantastic feeling of magic and surrealism. Even when I see it today, I can't help but feel transported by its lyrical quality. 

Beauty and the Beast (1946), Jean Cocteau.

 As an artist, Cocteau was close to the avant-garde movement before and after the WWI and knew  Modigliani, Picasso and Diaghilev, Coco Chanel, writers Proust and Gide, and composers Stravinsky, Satie and Poulenc. Even though he is often classified as a Surrealist, he denied having anything to do with the group of Surrealists including Salvador Dalí and André Breton.

Cocteau was deeply inspired by Greek mythology and many of his artworks include illustrations of famous myths. His theory was that commonplace objects were containers of hidden beauty, which the artist, through his gifts and eye, could bring out.

Profil aux Points. Dot Profile. Jean Cocteau, 1950.

 
Some of Cocteau's works will be exhibited alongside Picasso and Chagall paintings in the Lightbox gallery in Woking this week (read more about it on The Guardian website ). Also, a new museum dedicated to Jean Cocteau only just opened in Menton, France: the Jean Cocteau Museum.

The blind poet believes that he is the emperor of China, Jean Cocteau with birds, 1949.

Don Hong-Oai's photographs of Chinese landscapes

Yes, these are photographs. These amazing pictures of Chinese landscapes were taken by artist Don Hong-Oai who died in June 2004. You can read more about him and see more of his beautiful photographs here.

Happy new year!

I know I am  nearly a week late but I still wanted to wish you all a very happy new year! May it be full of joy, success and great antiques!

As for me, I started the new year with the flu (not great) and with some new books (really great!!)! Here they are:

I found in a charity shop 'Miller's Understanding Antiques' (which is great because it explains many things about furniture and glass- two kinds of antiques I don't have much knowledge about); a guide of the Ashmolean Museum with beautiful plates (that was on sale at the University of Oxford Shop); I ordered the 'Antiques Roadshow Quiz Book' and 'How to deal in Antiques' on Amazon, and finally, I subscribed to the Antiques Trade Gazette a couple of days ago and have already received their Art and Antiques 2012 Diary!

I am shivering with excitement (or it might be the flu...?) - I look forward to read them!

What about you: do you know any good book that you think every antiques lover should read? Please let me know in the comments below ;-)