HAWAII, USA – Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Hawaii , USA

ITEM: Ornament

NOTES: The Hawaiian “God of Winner” or “Winner God” is one of the Hawaiian Tiki Gods. This one is meant to bless you with good fortune and if you keep this Tiki with you, according to the label, “you may always be a winner in all that you do”. Winner, all right. I suspect the real winner here is the Chinese manufacturing industry.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1998

MADE FROM: Hard resin

MADE IN: China

MANUFACTURER: KC Comp

DIMENSIONS: 17cm high

LUQUE, PARAGUAY – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Luque , Paraguay

ITEM: Small Wall Ornament

NOTES: A vivid hand painted senorita on her way to a ball to dance and break hearts, no doubt. Luque is a city in Paraguay which is now part of the capitals, Asunción, metropolitan area.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 11cm diameter

 

 

HOHENSCHWANGAU, GERMANY – Bottle

PLACE REPRESENTED: Hohenschwangau (specifically Neuschwanstein Castle) , Germany

ITEM: Bottle

NOTES: The famous Neuschwanstein Castle on a hill above the village of Hohenschwangau in southwest Bavaria, Germany depicted in nice colour on this miniature pinch bottle. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria. Construction started 1869 and was completed the year of Ludwig’s death 1886 (he spent only eleven nights in the castle). As one who has gone through renovations over a lengthy period my advice is to borrow all the money at once and do it in one hit rather than over a long length of time. Apparently, “more than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer”

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

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: glass

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 11.5cm tall x 7cm wide

CROATIA – Doll

PLACE REPRESENTED: Croatia

ITEM: Doll

NOTES: Small doll from Croatia (then Yugoslavia) There are no identifying marks though it was purchased in Croatia. The ensemble the girl is wearing is very traditional but the blonde hair, though it does occur, is not the norm … well not naturally.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1973

MADE FROM: material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 17cm tall

 

BUNDABERG, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Cap

PLACE REPRESENTED: Bundaberg, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Cap

NOTES: Bundaberg, the “Fresh Heart of Australia”. I haven’t heard that before. I only know about Bundaberg Rum, made from the dominant local crop, sugar cane. Goodling suggests  otherwise “the heart of Australian food” and the “the heart of Australia’s fresh food”. Hmmmm, there are a lot of food bowl areas in Australia that would disagree. Apparently Tourism Australia is pushing Bundaberg as a culinary destination. Well, who am I to argue.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s

MADE FROM: 100% polyester

MADE IN: China

MANUFACTURER: Headwear

DIMENSIONS: One size fits all

BAHRAIN – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Bahrain

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: A vivid little wall ornament from the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf. The detail around the border is distinctly Persian and the camels, the palm trees, Arabian tent, oasis and camel rider in his keffiyeh make no mistake as to what part of the world it is from. Very nice.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 13cm diameter

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Wall Plate

PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Wall Plate

NOTES: A vivid plate of Brisbane at the time of the Queensland Centenary in 1959. The sites are all intact and not in abundance such was Brisbane in 1959. Accordingly, the plate makers have included Greenmount beach at Coolangatta on the nearby Gold Coast (which was then still relatively underdeveloped). All under the logo (“insert coat of arms or logo here”) of the Greater Brisbane H.T.A (a tennis association now defunct in Queensland) which is quite appropriate as tennis and sunshine mix well.

The plate has some special significance for me as my father and mother came to Australia, from Croatia (well, from Yugoslavia via other countries) in 1959 and 1960 respectively. They met here shortly thereafter and this is what they, no doubt, saw, and it was a lot les developed then what they were used to.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1959

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: Japan

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 25.5cm diameter