Category Archives: Wall Ornament

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Wall Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: “I got a boot out of Queensland”. I’m sure you did. Getting a boot can be good or bad, depending who you ask, though it’s generally meant to be favourable. A souvenir of the “insert place name here” variety, this boot is usually used for ‘cowboy country” type places. So, in that respect it does apply to Queensland, at least inland and the outback.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 13.5cm across x 16.6cm high

RIJEKA (specifically Trsat), CROATIA – Wall Ornament

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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

RIJEKA, CROATIA – Wall Ornament

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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

VATICAN CITY – Wall Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED: The Basilica of St Peter , Vatican City

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: The Basilica of St Peter (S Pietro) done in thin tile mosaic on wood. This is small, but in its own way, quite striking. The mentioning of Rome as the location of the Basilica (and Vatican City) is probably superfluous.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: wood , tile

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 17cm x 12cm

TIROL, AUSTRIA – Small Wall Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Tirol , Austria

ITEM: Small wooden wall ornament display plate. NOTES: The region of Tirol (or Tyrol) exists in both Italy (Tirolo) and Austria (Tirol). The spelling indicates this is from the Austrian side but the wooden plate and rustic feel of it reminds me of Italian trinkets. I have another similar ornament and wondered if the flowers depicted are region specific or just random? Those there are similar to the ones here so they could be regionally specific. Small but stylish with pyrography and vivid colours.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm diameter

 

CALOUNDRA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Caloundra, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Humorous Ornament

NOTES: Old school Australian humour. The wheel rotates to display many humorous quotes on “The Sport of Kings”, which is not horseracing but rather betting on horseracing. Have you ever noticed that, inevitably, everything humorous about horse racing seems to revolve about bad luck with the horses? And yet we still gamble. Clearly the “Caloundra” is an afterthought to this tourist trinket. There wasn’t, even, a race track at Caloundra (well not till after this trinket, in the mid 80s). Still, it’s a nice bit of 1960s kitsch.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 14.5cm x 22cm

 

TOKYO, JAPAN – Wall Ornament

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Tokyo - wall ornament (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Tokyo (specifically Tokyo Tower) , Japan

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: Tokyo Tower specifically celebrated on this wall ornament. Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower and the second-tallest structure in Japan. I assume the mountain in the background is Mount Takao.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 16cm diameter

PATAUA, NEW ZEALAND – Wall Ornament

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Pataua, New Zealand - Wall Ornament (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Pataua , New Zealand

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: A simple wall ornament (in pokerwork / pyrography) from Pataua, in the north of New Zealand, a popular area for sea gulls and surfing. Wherever you find seagulls you find surfers it seems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pataua_North

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN:   New Zealand probably

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9cm x 12.5cm

AUSTRALIA – Wall Ornament

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PLACE REPRESENTED:   Australia 

ITEM: Souvenir Spoon Rack NOTES: A small souvenir spoon rack in the shape of Australia. Souvenir spoons, once collected by everyone, are now piled deep in trays at op shops. Still, they can be great (short) talking pieces, preferably inserted into a dip.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s 

MADE FROM: wood     

MADE IN:  Australia   

MANUFACTURER: Tom’s Timber Products 

DIMENSIONS: 36cm x 28cm