PLACE REPRESENTED: El Salvador
ITEM: Catholic cross
NOTES: A small traditional Catholic cross from El Salvador. Simple, vivid and both regional specifc and global.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: El Salvador
MANUFACTURER: Artesanias “Jesus Obrero”
DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm high x 5.5cm across.
PLACE REPRESENTED: Canada
ITEM: Clock
NOTES: A large clock with all the shields for all the Canadian provinces and territories depicted. Ten provinces, two territories. It’s big and it’s regal. It’s Canada.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: wood (reconstituted)
MADE IN: Canada
MANUFACTURER: AEF
DIMENSIONS: 27cm diameter
PLACE REPRESENTED: Croatia
ITEM: Cap
NOTES: The familiar red and white Croatian checkerboard on a cap.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2005
MADE FROM: cotton
MADE IN: China
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: head size
PLACE REPRESENTED: Korea
ITEM: Wall Hanging
NOTES: A plastic, rubber and cardboard wall hanging you would expect to see hanging in a Korean diner. Cheap it is, but there is a certain cute kitsch-y charm to it.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: plastic , rubber , cardboard
MADE IN: Korea (probably)
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 29.5cm long x 14cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Kaprun , Austria
ITEM: Wall Hanging
NOTES: “Gruss aus Kaprun” means “Greetings from Kaprun”.
Kaprun is a municipality in western Austria famous for its glacier Kitzsteinhorn, skiing and tourism.
This well detailed hard resin wall hanging, is no doubt, made to replace the old traditional wooden wall carvings of the same style. It’s even made to look like it’s made of wood. The plate is detailed with the town, glacier, mountains and dams. I suppose it is post 2000 as the two funicular railways, the site of the Kaprun disaster of 2000, are not depicted.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: resin
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 21cm diameter
PLACE REPRESENTED: Paris , France
ITEM: A steel photo frame.
NOTES: A very kitschy photo frame depicting all the famous sites of Paris with sparkly red writing and hearts to make sure it is known that you love Paris.
To be wilfully perverse I will put a photo of me standing in front of the Colosseum or the Taj Mahal in the frame.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: Steel , glass.
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 21cm long x 16cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Melbourne, Victoria , Australia
ITEM: Nic Nac Dish
NOTES: All the sites of Melbourne in (on) melamine. There is more to Melbourne. Where are the hipsters?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: plastic (melamine)
MADE IN: Australia
MANUFACTURER: Ashdene
DIMENSIONS: 21cm x 14cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Alaska , USA
ITEM: Herb Knife
NOTES: I’m sure there are herbs in Alaska but a herb knife as a souvenir? Well, at least you can use it.
The knife has a curved blade to get a rocking action and is also known as a ‘Hachoir’ or ‘Herb Chopper’.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: steel , wood
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 10.5cm high x 14.5cm long (herb knife) 10cm long x 2cm high (base)
PLACE REPRESENTED: Wales
ITEM: Ornament
NOTES: A rugby ball in the Welsh colours with the Welsh dragon. “Cymru” is Welsh for “Wales”. And, despite variable results on the field, rugby union is popular national sport which is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and national consciousness…they’d be better off with Dylan Thomas and republican agitation.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: Polyester
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 16cm long x 10cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane, Queensland , Australia (specifically Queensland Parliament)
ITEM: Coasters
NOTES: Four coasters in a tin case depicting the Queensland Parliament’s coat of arms.
Queensland’s Parliament sits in Brisbane and is often quite surprising. Well, more surprising than this souvenir.
It’s a good thing the coasters don’t depict governments as they seem to change frequently.
Why would anyone buy a souvenir like this? Perhaps an ex-politician took it on the way out.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: tin , rubber (base)
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 9.5cm diameter