PLACE REPRESENTED: Fiji Islands
ITEM: Frame
NOTES: A hand crafted photo frame from Fiji with the famous “Bula”, meaning “hello”… yet again!
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: locally probably
DIMENSIONS: 18cm x 15cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Tasmania , Australia
ITEM: Display Plate
NOTES: Great detail … the manufacturer has managed to cram everything about Tasmania on there.
Well, at least all the positive things.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 20.5cm diameter
Click on image below for detail
PLACE REPRESENTED: Mauritius
ITEM: Small Ornament
NOTES: Beautiful Mauritius.
But why does this small ornament depict the ill fated Dodo bird?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: Handmade
DIMENSIONS: 10cm across , 7cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Toronto , Canada
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: A cheap plastic horseshoe good luck piece withToronto depicted in its center. What is this trying to say? Do you need luck when you go to Toronto or do you take it with you when you leave?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: plastic , steel
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 13.5cm high x 11.5cm across
PLACE REPRESENTED: Hibberdene , South Africa
ITEM: Minature Mug
NOTES: Hibberdene is a small coastal town on east coast of South Africa. The beaches are popular with tourists and with dolphins apparently.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 5cm high x 5cm diameter across bottom, 4cm diameter across top.
PLACE REPRESENTED: Fiji Islands
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: This trinket is not from Bula, Indonesia nor Bula, The Phillipines. It’s from Fiji and the “bula” is not a place but a famous local expression for “hello”.
I’m not sure why “hello” is on an object in the shape of a knife though … it’s hardly inviting.
Maybe tourists feel threatened and are more likely to buy when they are confronted by a local yelling “bula” and brandishing what appears to be a dagger?
I’m sure airlines won’t let you take this in carry-on luggage.
How many of these simple tourist trinkets can a local churn out in one hour?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: Fiji (probably)
MANUFACTURER: Handmade
DIMENSIONS: 45cm long
PLACE REPRESENTED: Kresno , Indonesia
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: A relief on a a small picture stand for hanging or sitting.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: wood , steel
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 13cm high , 7cm across
PLACE REPRESENTED: Colombia
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: A wonderful miniature ornamental depiction of a Colombian Chiva bus with its roof packed. There are vibrant colours (just like the real buses) and fantastic detail … there are even figures inside! This is great travelling kitsch.
More here on the iconic bus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiva_bus
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: pottery ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 12cm long, 8.5cm high, 5.5cm wide
PLACE REPRESENTED: Opatija , Croatia.
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: Croatians, like Italians, love their wine. This miniature bukaleta (a wine pitcher) and similar wine related trinkets are everywhere (especially around the Istrian peninsula of Croatia) and most towns have their name depicted on miniature bukaletas. In Italian the pitcher is called a boccaletta or boccale and Opatija is called Abbazia.
For more on bukaletas: http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=hr&u=http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukaleta&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbukaleta%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D832
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1994
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: Croatia (probably)
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 7cm high , 7cm wide
PLACE REPRESENTED: Albania
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: Some sort of imitation bottle. The Albanian coat of arms is on one side whilst the other side has a likeness of national hero Skenderbeu (Skanderbeg) who reisted Ottoman expansionism. It looks very Balkan.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: steel , wood
MADE IN: unknown.
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 22cm high , 12cm across
