GONDAR, ETHIOPIA – Mug

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Gondar (specifically King Fasilides Castle) , Ethiopia

ITEM: Mug

NOTES: King Fasilides Castle (The Fasil Ghebbi) is a fortress located in Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It was founded in the 17th century by Emperor Fasilides and was the home of Ethiopian emperors. It is notable because the King tired of the traditional ways of nomading and living in tents and decided to put down roots and built a castle home. Its unique architecture shows diverse influences including Hindu, Arab, and Baroque characteristics

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 10cm tall, 8cm diameter

CANADA – T Shirt

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Canada

ITEM: T Shirt

NOTES: Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation, in 2017, and promoted by the Canadian government as Canada 150. I like the stylized maple leaf. Vivid, even if it was made in Mexico.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/150th_anniversary_of_Canada

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2017

MADE FROM: 50% cotton, 50% polyester

MADE IN: Mexico

MANUFACTURER: Alstyle

DIMENSIONS: L

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Copenhagen , Denmark

ITEM: Ornament

NOTES: A stylish stone and steel miniature of the “Little Mermaid” in Copenhagen (København). The Little Mermaid is a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen, depicting a mermaid becoming human made in 1913. It symbolises Copenhagen and sits on the waterside at Langelinie park near where most cruise ships arriving in Copenhagen also berth. And in reality it’s not much bigger than this minature. Okay I jest but it is only about 4 foot high … well it is called the “little” mermaid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid_(statue)

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: stone , steel .

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 8cm high

CAMBRIDGE ENGLAND – Snow Globe

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Cambridge England

ITEM: Snow Globe

NOTES: One of the modern sturdy substantial snow globes replacing the plastic ones of the 70s and 80s. This one depicts Cambridge. Cambridge is a university city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Cambridgeshire, England. Hence all the university buildings depicted though there is a bridge and boat. And why not, Cambridge is famous for its relaxed boating down the river Cam (though nowadays relaxed boating may be seen by some at Cambridge University as a representation of white privilege). Here the Mathematical Bridge is shown – a wooden footbridge in the southwest of central Cambridge (The bridge was designed by William Etheridge, and built by James Essex in 1749. It has been rebuilt on two occasions, in 1866 and in 1905, but has kept the same overall design)

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s

MADE FROM: plastic, resin.

MADE IN: China

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9cm high, 7cm diameter base

MAURITIUS – Wall Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Mauritius

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: The coat of arms of Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean which most of the colonial Imperialist nations had a history with (the Dutch, French and English all ruled before independence in 1968). The coat or arms has, in the lower left quarter, a key and on the right-hand side a white star, which are referred to in the Latin motto “Stella Clavisque Maris Indici” meaning “Star and Key of the Indian Ocean”.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 13cm diameter

PARIS, FRANCE – Small Wall Plate

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Paris , France

ITEM: Small Wall Plate

NOTES: (only) five famous sights of paris – Eiffel Tower (of course), Sacre Coeur Basilica (of course), Moulin Rouge (of course), Notre dame Cathedral (of course), Arc de Triomphe (of course). Paris has a lot of sights … of course.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: China

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 10.5cm diameter

BIRDSVILLE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Toothpick Holder

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Birdsville (specifically Birdsville Hospital), Queensland, Australia

ITEM: Toothpick Holder

NOTES: Birdsville in remote outback Queensland. Famous for the yearly Birdsville races horserace meet where, no doubt, some participants and some celebrating spectators end up at the Birdsville hospital .. hopefully not too many. The population is swells from about 100 to around 7,000 people for the two-day event.

Birdsville lies at the end of Australia’s (once) most hazardous stock route. To this day the Birdsville Track is still an unsealed road but maintained so that you can travel in either a 4WD or SUV with a caravan or camper trailer, or regular car if it doesn’t rain. The road conditions can vary and you may find yourself travelling over a diverse range of surfaces from sand dunes to gibber plains (a tight layer of smooth, weathered rock fragments called “gibbers” (derived from an Aboriginal word for stone)).

The trinket is a toothpick holder made of local wood and nuts to shape a curious grub.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: Australia I suspect

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm long

KARLOVAC, CROATIA – Mug

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Karlovac (specifically The Nikola Tesla Experience Center) , Croatia

ITEM: Mug

NOTES: A mug dedicated to the famous Nikola Tesla. He was born in Smiljan, in Croatia, moved to Gospic, Croatia, attended High School at Karlovac Croatia, before moving on to Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the USA. This mug specifically depicts the “Nikola Tesla Experience center” in Karlovac Croatia, right across the road from the high school he attended. The pop art colouring of a famous photo of him advertises the center (which isn’t so much a museum but a interactive look at his inventions).

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2025

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 10cm high, 8cm diameter

 

DUBLIN, IRELAND – Nic Nac Dish

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Dublin, Ireland

ITEM: Nic Nac Dish

NOTES: A colourful melamine plate depicting the General Post Office and O’Connell Street in Dublin. If you look hard enough you can still see the bullet holes* from the Easter Rising of 1916 where the Irish republicans fought to end British rule in Ireland and establish an independent Irish Republic. “The building was destroyed by fire in the course of the rebellion, save for the granite facade, and not rebuilt until 1929, by the Irish Free State government”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Post_Office,_Dublin

*you can’t really I just added that for dramatic effect. Though, the holes are there: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-triumph-of-failure-ireland-1916-1.3502753/bullet-holes-still-scar-the-general-post-office-in-dublin-1.3503062

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: plastic (melamine)

MADE IN: Italy

MANUFACTURER: Webel

DIMENSIONS: 13.5cm x 13.5cm

ROTHENBURG, GERMANY – Small Ornamental Plate

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Rothenburg, Bavaria , Germany

ITEM: Small Ornamental Plate

NOTES: Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Feuerleinserker mit Jakobskirche – Rothenburg’s town church of St. Jakob. It was originally a Roman Catholic church but during the 16th century became a Lutheran church

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: Porzellen Manufaktur Lorenz & Sohn

DIMENSIONS: 10cm diameter

A photo of Rothenburg’s town church of St. Jakob in the background from days past …..