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
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Coasters
PLACE REPRESENTED: Queensland , Australia
ITEM: Coasters
NOTES: A perfectly kitch set of coasters in a flip open coaster holder. Cheap plastic, cheap graphics, made in Hong Kong, with the standard proclamation for Queensland, "The Sunshine State". Still, they are very handy.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: plastic
MADE IN: Hong Kong
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm diameter (coaster)
BOWEN, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Bottle Opener
PLACE REPRESENTED: Bowen, Queensland , Australia
ITEM: Bottle Opener NOTES: A simple (but useful bottle opener depicting Bowen, or perhaps the surrounds of Bowen. Bowen is on the coast but this depiction of Bowen seems to be facing inland perhaps because in the days before tourism this was a farming and cattle area. I like how this bottle opener has a small protusion at the bottom which has no purpose except for spinning …. perhaps for drinking games?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: steel , plastic .
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 11.5cm x 5.5cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Adelaide, South Australia , Australia
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: A small wall ornament depicting St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral or St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral or, perhaps, another denomination. Well, Adelaide is known as the “City Of Churches”. The Adelaide tram at the front is less ambiguous.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: resin
MADE IN: China
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 11cm x 8cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Athens (specifically the Temple of Zeus) Greece
ITEM: Wall ornament
NOTES: A vividly coloured plate depicting (what’s left of) the Temple of Zeus in Athens … it is 2000+ years old. The Acropolis and Parthenon are in the background. http://www.greeka.com/attica/athens/athens-excursions/athens-olympian-zeus.htm
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s
MADE FROM: porcelain
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 21.5cm diameter
PLACE REPRESENTED: Malta
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: A wall ornament depicting the airport at Malta. Airports are always a double edged sword on souvenirs … are you celebrating coming or leaving? This is a nice snapshot of a small European airport circa 1970s.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: Malta probably
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 15cm wide x 14.5cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Amsterdam , Holland
ITEM: Key Ring
NOTES: A small key ring with a lot of sites crammed into its frame: Dam Square with Royal Palace, Oude Kerk, the National Monument, the Magere Brug (bridge) and probably a few other things.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2017
MADE FROM: plastic , steel
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 9cm (with chain) , 4cm x 3cm medallion
PLACE REPRESENTED: Alaska , USA
ITEM: Trivet
NOTES: A nicely detailed trivet with Alaskan grizzly bears and an in danger salmon depicted.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: China
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 15cm x 15cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Trieste , Italy
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: An elaborate (as you would expect from the Italians) wall ornament depicting Miramare castle 8 km north-west of Trieste (or Trst as it is known to Croatians, well, it was an Illyrian settlement a long, long time ago). Castello di Miramare (or the Castle of Miramare), located about 8 km north-west of Trieste, with a commanding presence over the Gulf of Trieste, is a majestic castle (with a surrounding park, the Park of Miramare) built from 1856 to 1860 for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte (the Austrian Habsburgs controlled the early 1500s until after World War 1). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miramare_Castle
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s
MADE FROM: steel , ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 29cm diameter
PLACE REPRESENTED: Innsbruck , Austria
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: The famous town of Innsbruck in Austria dates back to the 4th century. Depicted is the Goldenes Dachl building (which dates back to 1500) in the old town of Innsbruck. A perfect plate to capture the Alpine nature of the town. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenes_Dachl
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: Austria probably
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 18cm diameter