Tag Archives: 1980s

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Wall Plate

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Vienna , Austria

ITEM: Wall Plate

NOTES: A boy and girl in the traditional Vienna clothing. ‘Tracht’ is the word used in Austria for their traditional clothing and fashion. It is worn very often in the Austrian countryside, less in cities – only for special and formal occasions like weddings or receptions. Women wear ‘Dirndls’, a close-fitting bodice combined with an apron in different colors; either it is sleeveless and worn with a cotton and lace blouse, or it has sleeves and a high neck. Men wear ‘Lederhosen’, knee-length trousers or short-pants made from leather, worn with rustic shoes and wool socks. Should be more of it.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: Austria

MANUFACTURER: BM

DIMENSIONS: 19.5cm diameter

 

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND – Stationery

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Amsterdam , Holland

ITEM: Stationery

NOTES: A novelty, oversize pencil with a bell attached depicting all the sites of Amsterdam, well almost everything … there is no Red Light district. Maybe that’s what the bell is for. That’s cryptic. Actually, that makes no sense. In any event the bell becomes annoying when writing, though the a novelty oversized pencil is not commonly used.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: wood , pencil .

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 23cm (including bell)

YANDINA (specifically the Ginger Factory), QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIUA – Tray

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Yandina (specifically The Ginger Factory), Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Tray

NOTES: Every kid in the 1980s had to go visit the Ginger Factory at Yandina, didn’t they? Well, every kid in south east Queensland had to. It was much better than the box factory from The Simpsons as they had activities, a train ride and err ginger products! https://www.gingerfactory.com.au/

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: bamboo

MADE IN: Taiwan

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 30.5cm diameter

NEW CALEDONIA – Wall Plate

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PLACE REPRESENTED: New Caledonia, France

ITEM: Wall Plate

NOTES: New Caledonia, or more appropriately, Nouvelle Caledonie, is an archipelago in the south pacific popular with tourists. This everyone knows. It was colonised by the French. This everyone may know. It is still a dependent territory of France. This everyone should know. It has had political power since 1998 and the Nouméa Accord which was “a promise by the French Republic to grant political power to New Caledonia and its original population, the Kanaks, until the territory decides whether to remain a special collectivity of France or become an independent state in a referendum to be held in November 2018” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noumea_Accord) That everyone probably does not know.

The referendum was held in 2018, then another 2020 and 2021. On each occasion New Caledonia voted against independence.

They are , however, sufficiently devolved, though, to have their own nation entry here.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: plastic (melamine by the looks of it)

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 15cm diameter

CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO – Ashtray

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Chihuahua , Mexico

ITEM: Ashtray

NOTES: A wonderful Mexican made ashtray in earthy light sand coloured pottery with sparse but vivid glazing. All the stereotypes (though not necessarily negative, so perhaps “symbols” would be a better word) are here … the cactus, the agave, the lagenaria siceraria (Mexican Water Bottle Gourd), and the local in traditional clothing and sombrero having a siesta.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: pottery

MADE IN: Mexico

MANUFACTURER: Mexico Co

DIMENSIONS: 10.5cm diameter

 

ZANZIBAR – Coasters

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Zanzibar

ITEM: Coasters

NOTES: Zanzibar is an island archipelago and an autonomous region of Tanzania on Africa’s west coast. Jambo is a Swahili greeting and similar to “Hello”. Most of the most famous African fauna are depicted on these sturdy and evocative stone tiles.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: stone

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: Coaster holder : 9cm diameter, 5cm high. Coasters: 7cm diameter.

 

SYDNEY (specifically Sydney Tower), NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – Vase

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Sydney (specifically the Sydney Tower), New South Wales , Australia

ITEM: Vase

NOTES: A small vase depicting the Sydney Tower, the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere, which opened in 1981. The Sky Tower in Auckland is taller.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 10cm tall