PLACE REPRESENTED: Nicaragua
ITEM: Religious
NOTES: A colourful cross from Nicaragua with vivid drawings of village life. Vivid and appealing.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2012
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: Nicaragua
MANUFACTURER: Handmade
DIMENSIONS: 24cm high , 18.5cm across
PLACE REPRESENTED: Venice, Italy.
ITEM: Wall Ornament.
NOTES: Venice in wood?
Wooden folk art is something common throughout Europe but the idea of Venice on wood is interesting given that coastal Croatians swear that the Venetian Republic was built on Croatian lumber. The fact that there is very little top soil left along some parts of the Croatian coast, due to erosion from tree felling, may indicate there is some truth in that belief.
Putting aside any historical exploitation argument this is a type of tourist trinket I love: it’s hand made, though mass produced, with mixed materials, ie: a postcard stuck to wood and painted to create a vivid Venetian memory of the Piazza San Marco (St. Marks Square).
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: wood, paper, paint.
MADE IN: Unknown, Italy probably.
MANUFACTURER: unknown.
DIMENSIONS: 22cm high, 11cm wide
PLACE REPRESENTED: Ireland
ITEM: Key Chain
NOTES: Ha, the Irish are funny and clearly don’t forget easily. The sentiment is succinct and perfect…and on both sides of the key chain, just in case you forget.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2004
MADE FROM: plastic
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 4cm x 6cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Lovran , Croatia
ITEM: Wall ornament
NOTES: I love these things. Handmade with a lot of detail and materials. Not bad for a postcard stuck to a piece of wood and then decorated. Very evocative, despite the fact the shells probably didn’t even come from the area depicted.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1994
MADE FROM: wood , shell
MADE IN: Croatia
MANUFACTURER: Handmade
DIMENSIONS: 30cm long , 10cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: San Francisco , USA
ITEM: Spoon Rest
NOTES: Did anyone ever rest a spoon in a spoon rest?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 19cm long
PLACE REPRESENTED: Sunshine Plantation, Nambour , Australia
ITEM: Salt & Pepper Shakers
NOTES: Ahhh, the Sunshine Plantation on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, home of the Big Pineapple. One of Australia’s most well known and best “big fruits”.
For more on the Big Pineapple: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Pineapple
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown.
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 9cm high , 5cm wide each
PLACE REPRESENTED: Rijeka , Croatia
ITEM: Clock
NOTES: A battery run clock in stone in the shape of a boat (naturally enough for sea faring types like the Croats) with a drawing of the clock tower from the old town in Rijeka. Rijeka, on the Croatian coast means “river”. Under the Italians the town was called “Fiume”, Italian for, err, river. The river isn’t very wide. Maybe they don’t have a word for “creek” in Croatian or Italian. The town is however a major port on the Adriatic and one of the centres of major shipbuilding.
This clock is very weighty and perhaps, today, would be considered to be some sort of weapon and not allowed in carry-on luggage.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1998
MADE FROM: stone
MADE IN: Croatia
MANUFACTURER: Suveniri Rimanic, Pazin, Croatia.
DIMENSIONS: 20cm high , 15cm across
ITEM: Forks
PLACE REPRESENTED: California , USA
NOTES: There is nothing quite like a “Little Fork”. But, why the little fork? I suppose its easier than saying hors d’oeuvres forks. The “California” on the handle is a bonus. Sun, surf, and hors d’oeuvres.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s
MADE FROM: steel , plastic
MADE IN: Japan
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 10.5cm high (The forks are 10.5cm high. The box is 11.5cm x 6.5cm)
PLACE REPRESENTED: Ireland
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: A mini Irish cottage. Very mini despite the beauties of digital photography.
Do these cottages still exist? Yes, but mainly in re-runs of “The Quiet Man”. Still when you do see them they are special.
This is handmade, apparently. Well, handmade in a sweatshop, perhaps.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: Resin
MADE IN: ?
MANUFACTURER: Elgate
DIMENSIONS: 7cm long , 4cm wide
PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane, Queensland , Australia
ITEM: Key Chain
NOTES: Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, on five cards – ten pictures in all. Half the pictures are of animals or the nearby surf and sin fun beach city of Surfers Paradise. Surely Brisbane has more than that? In any event Brisbane doesn’t look much like what’s on the cards anyway, anymore. Develop, develop, develop.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s
MADE FROM: Plastic
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 12.5cm including chain (6cm without) x 3.5cm wide