PLACE REPRESENTED: The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
ITEM: Ashtray
NOTES: Spectacular … The Grand Canyon that is. Actually the ashtray isn’t to bad either. Pity it wasn’t made in the US.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: Korea
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 13cm x , 13cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Croatia
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: Technically this is from Yugoslavia (1972) but it was purchased in Croatia and clearly looks like a Croatian donkey. Doesn’t it?
A well detailed wood carving of the traditional Croatian form of transport of years past, the “magarac” … donkey. The donkey is carrying the obligatory barrel of wine as well as a bucket on each side.
The donkey is central to Croatian culture. Poems, stories and songs have been written about the donkey. Though not that fashionable anymore these trinkets from the 1970s show a clear line to Croatia recent, agrarian past.
Will the mythology survive the shock of the new that is the world post EU?
These carvings were prolific and came in different sizes and shapes.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1972
MADE FROM: wood , steel.
MADE IN: Yugoslavia (as it then was).
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 18cm high , 17cm long.
And there are others . The same size but with slightly different markings.
And of course, together;
PLACE REPRESENTED: The Basilica of St Peter and Square , Vatican City
ITEM: Ashtray
NOTES: The Basilica of St Peter as an ashtray – hmmm. Clearly it’s a decorative ashtray but still, where is the respect?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1973
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 12cm x 12cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Post Office Tower, London , England
ITEM: Small Display Plate / Nic Nac bowl.
NOTES: Nic Nac plate celebrating the Post Office Tower in London.
Impressive?
To give you an idea of it’s impressive size the bowl has a to scale picture of Nelson’s Column inset. This, of course, is only uselful if you know how tall Nelson’s Column is.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): ?
MADE FROM: glass
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 11cm x 11cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Eumundi, Queensland , Australia
ITEM: Ashtray
NOTES: A dragonfly ashtray.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: Unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 12cm diameter
PLACE REPRESENTED: Fuzina , Croatia
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: Handmade and suitably earthy or woodsy in this case. A slice of wood with some creative use of pine cones. The basic pyrography “Uspomena iz Fuzina” means “A remembrance of Fuzina”. I’m not sure why the maker has chosen the historical Italian variation “Fuzina” rather than the contemporary Croatian “Fuzine”. A nice big piece.
More detail here: http://www.tz-fuzine.hr/view.asp?p=5&c=8
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1994
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: Croatia
MANUFACTURER: Handmade
DIMENSIONS: 33cm high , 8cm across
Remember to click on the photos for detailed large images.
PLACE REPRESENTED: Paris , France
ITEM: Ornamental miniature
NOTES: The Eiffel Tower – in steel, what else.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: steel
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 19.5cm high , 8cm wide
ITEM: Fridge Magnet
PLACE REPRESENTED: Tenterfield, New South Wales , Australia.
NOTES: A park in Tenterfield. Home of Peter Allen and Banjo Paterson.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s
MADE FROM: plastic
MADE IN: Australia
MANUFACTURER: Murray Views
DIMENSIONS: 5cm x 7cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Budapest , Hungary
ITEM: Mini Stein
NOTES: A stein? This is very Austrian but perhaps not surprising given was one of the twin capitals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1998
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 7cm high , 6cm wide
PLACE REPRESENTED: Memphis, Tennessee, USA (Graceland specifically)
ITEM: Pin Cushion
NOTES: A rocking chair pin cushion from Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis, Graceland. I’m not sure why a pin cushion and rocking chair but anything with Elvis or anything Elvis related will sell. If nothing else it is a reminder that Elvis’ beloved grandmother, Minnie Mae aka Dodger, lived at Graceland until she passed away in 1980.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s
MADE FROM: steel , fabric
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 6cm high , 3.5cm wide
Happy Birthday Elvis.