CRUZ ALTA, BRAZIL – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Cruz Alta , Brazil

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: Cruz Alta is a town the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil near the Argentinian and Uruguayan borders. This probably explains the gaucho-esque painting on this piece of leather … it’s cow country. Portuguese is spoken though there is a Gaúcho Portuguese dialect due to the proximity with Argentina and Uruguay and their common Gaucho past. I’m not sure how to say Yeee-Hah in Gaúcho Portuguese but it would be apt here.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: leather , wood

. MADE IN: Brazil probably

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 17cm x 21cm

CRETE, GREECE – Fridge Magnet

PLACE REPRESENTED: Crete , Greece

ITEM: Fridge Magnet

NOTES: Greek plaster fridge magnet made to look a little like the white vernacular stone found all over the Greek islands including Crete and depicting the Minoan “Prince of Lilies” Fresco from Knossos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_the_Lilies

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s

MADE FROM: Plastic

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 5.5cm x 8cm

CHILE – Coasters

PLACE REPRESENTED: Chile

ITEM: Coasters

NOTES: The copper tin industry in Chile is large and appears in all sorts of souvenirs. Here various Chilean activities and institutions are pressed into copper tin and placed onto wood (another big industry). This is quite effective and local.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: copper tin , wood

MADE IN: Chile (I assume)

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9cm x 9cm (each coaster)

TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ashtray

PLACE REPRESENTED: Townsville (specifically Flinders Street), Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Ashtray

NOTES: Flinders street in Townsville in North Queensland. Quite charming and some of Flinders street still looks like this (the buildings that is, not the roads and surrounds …councils are always ruing them).

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1950s

MADE FROM: china

MADE IN: England

MANUFACTURER: Royal Stafford

DIMENSIONS: 11.5cm x 11.5cm

COSTA RICA – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Costa Rica

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: Some effort has gone into this. A large vivid wall ornament from Costa Rica in Central America depicting large vivid animals from Costa Rica – the Red-Eyed Tree Frog, the Blue Morpho butterfly, one of the local monkey species (perhaps the Central American Squirrel Monkey or the Spider Monkey), and the birds, the Scarlett Macaw and the Keel-billed Toucan. This hand painted ornament is errr large and vivid, and, ultimately, striking.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: Costa Rica (probably)

MANUFACTURER: Flory (signed)

DIMENSIONS: 24.5cm x 36cm

 

LOUGH CORRIB, IRELAND – Picture

PLACE REPRESENTED: Lough Corrib , Ireland

ITEM: Picture

NOTES: Lough Corrib is a large lake in west Ireland covering 176 km² and with 1,327 islands within its boundaries. This 3D picture (a picture with rocks and whatnot in the foreground) is quite vivid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lough_Corrib

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: wood , organic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 17.5cm x 16cm