RIJEKA, CROATIA – Shot Glass

PLACE REPRESENTED: Rijeka , Croatia

ITEM: Shot Glass

NOTES: The Rijeka coat of arms with the twin headed eagle (which reflects the double-headed Reichsadler used by the Holy Roman Empire Habsburg emperors) standing on a pitcher with water coming from the same. Rijeka means river in Croatian hence the water from the pitcher. The coat of arms is traced back to 1659 and a decree byt the Croatian king and Austrian emperor Leopold I. http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Rijeka

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2004

MADE FROM: glass

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 7cm high x 4.5cm diameter

SPLIT , CROATIA – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Split , Croatia

ITEM: Wall Plate

NOTES: Split, featuring St Dominius Cathedral, done in pyrography (wood decorated with burn marks) on a carved plate. St Dominius (Katedrala Svetog Duje) is located inside the gates of Diocletian’s Palace built in Roman times as the Mausoleum of Diocletian before being converted to a church in the 7th century. Mass is still held here today, making it one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in the world still in use in its original structure.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: Croatia (probably)

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 25cm diameter

SLAVONIA, CROATIA – Box

PLACE REPRESENTED: Slavonia , Croatia

ITEM: Box

NOTES: A very familiar Croatian souvenir from the “Yugoslavia era”, though still manufactured now. Wood, pyrography (wood decorated with burn marks), some basic colours and a postcard glued into place. As I have said before, I love these souvenirs. They are sturdy, vivid and distinctive. This one depicts five towns (Đakovo, Valpovo, Osijek, Vinkovici, Vukovar) in Slavonia, Croatia’s north easter region. Functional and decorative.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: Croatia (probably)

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 20cm x 16.5cm x 5cm high

RIJEKA (specifically Trsat), CROATIA – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Rijeka , Croatia

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: Hand made and home made. i love it. Trsat is a steep hill overlooking Rijeka. On top is perched, not surprisingly, a castle / fortress and a church, Majka Bozja Trsatska (Our lady of Trsat). Building of the (current) church began in the 13th or 14th century but it has been significantly added to and remodelled over the years. Mary’s house in Nazareth is said to have appeared here then mysteriously disappeared sometime later, to be discovered in Italy, in Loreto, where it still stands today as a shrine. The church is famous for its numerous concessions and for the pilgrimages by numerous believers (from Croatia and abroad) throughout the year, and especially on the Assumption of Mary holiday. http://www.kvarner.hr/hodocastiti-svetistima/en/trsat.html

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1998

MADE FROM: pottery

MADE IN: Croatia (I assume)

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 19cm x 14cm

LOVRAN, CROATIA – Pennant

PLACE REPRESENTED: Lovran , Croatia

ITEM: Pennant

NOTES: A barely recognizable pennant depicting the town of Lovran in Croatia. How do I know it is Lovran? We were sent this in the 1960s from relatives in Lovran.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: cloth

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 16cm long x 11cm wide

RIJEKA, CROATIA – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Rijeka , Croatia

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: The Morcic (Moretto) are a traditional symbol (and good luck charm) for the town of Rijeka on the Croatian north Adriatic coast. This is not some sort of blackface stereotype. The legends of Morcic have a number of sources and you can pick which to accept according to your patriotic, historical or romantic leanings (to show where you are from, to celebrate a military victory over the Ottomans, as a symbol of friendship when an Italian contessa granted freedom to a servant she cared for very much). The morčić motif can be seen throughout the city and is widely recognised, and jewellery and souvenirs, which were prolific, reaching their peak in the 19th century (but disappearing after World War 2) are once again being produced. Rightly or wrongly I’m sure they will be cancelled.

https://croatia.hr/en-GB/experiences/culture-and-heritage/legends/the-origin-of-morcic-the-lucky-charm-from-rijeka

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1994

MADE FROM: wood , material , ceramic material.

MADE IN: Croatia

MANUFACTURER: Tarsatic Art

DIMENSIONS: 12cm x 17cm

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA – Wall Ornament

Dubrovnik - Steel Plate - enamel (1)

PLACE REPRESENTED: Dubrovnik , Croatia

ITEM: Wall Ornament / Plate

NOTES: A beautifully glazed steel wall plate celebrating Dubrovnik and suitably old looking like Dubrovnik itself. Beautiful, like Dubrovnik itself.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: steel  (enamel decoration on metal)

MADE IN:  Croatia

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 31cm diameter

 

LOVRAN, CROATIA – Wall Ornament

Lovran - Wall Plate Wood (1)

LOVRAN, CROATIA – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Lovran , Croatia 

ITEM: Wall Plate 

NOTES: A beautifully vivid wall plate with  pyrography etching and a nice colour print of the harbour in Lovran, Croatia. It looks so simple and relaxing. 

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1973 

MADE FROM: wood     

MADE IN:   Croatia (I assume)   

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 20cm diameter  

Lovran - Wall Plate Wood (2)