Monday 28 January 2013

Vintage Finds

Well it has been nearly a year, I have been neglecting my blog there is no question. It is a sad state of affairs when your day job takes over your life leaving little time for the fun stuff!

Well it's winter and not many people in Chamonix want their houses decorating during the winter months so I'm back to show off what I have been up to.

I have become a vintage- aholic and I hear that it is an easy illness to contract... lol Here are some of my recent finds which you can find for sale on ETSY or on e bay.

SO my first find:
This little clock I think dates to about 1942, it is French made in Paris by a company called Jaz. It is such a charming little alarm clock. When I bought it the man who sold it to me said it didn't work... but it does! and so does the alarm and believe me you will never sleep through this one.

I absolutely adore this necklace and I am quite happy that no one has bought it yet. The beads are so unique I have never come across beads like them. They are very geometric in shape and it harps back to the art deco period. The beads are cut crystal glass and are just fabulous!

Again I adore this table cloth but I am such a mucky puppy I could never use it. It is an enormous great thing measuring 99/65 inches! plenty big enough for a thanks giving table. It has the most exquisite cross stitch embroidery and cut work all over it and it comes with... wait for it... 12 matching napkins! I couldn't believe the condition of the table cloth or the napkins when i got them home and unwrapped them.

Lordy Lordy how pretty is this one! A 15 piece intact 1940's Japanese tea set marked Kutani Hayasi. Kutani is the region in Japan it means 9 valleys and I assume that Hayasi refers to the design of mount fuji and pagodas. The pretty design has been hand painted and is just stunning. The little cups each have a lithophane of a geisha in the bottom so when you hold them up to the light her charming face smiles back at you.


And finally for this post anyway:
When I first saw these dainty little tea cups I honestly spent at least 5 minutes trying to decide if they were plastic or not because my brain would just not accept that they could be porcelain as they were so thin and delicate. I have practiced pottery myself and the thought of making anything this delicate gave me the shivers. They also date from around 1940, though trying to find any other information on these ones has been difficult to impossible. I know they are from before the 2nd World War as they are not marked made in occupied Japan. Not all the cups or saucers are marked but the larger cup in the center does have the most amazing lithophane. These are also thought to be from the Kutani region of Japan.


Well that's all folks for the moment anyway. Please if anyone out there has some more information on my blue and white tea cups I would love for you to leave a comment and tell me what you know about them. And actually I would love it if anyone commented on anything really. So until next time.