I have a thing for all that is miniature; it's been a passion since childhood. I'd nick my mum's compact mirror and make a tiny pond with it, in a miniature garden.My husband bought this old printer's box at a yard sale, years ago and it's become the perfect shadowbox home for little treasures. You can ask me about anything in here and there will be a story to tell of walks, travels, friendship, love and its magic.
I have been given beautiful perfume and snuff bottles for my little collection. This painted porcelain miniature came from Jalna, a young woman who has been like a daughter to me for fifteen years. It's been five years since I've seen her but not a week goes by that I don't get an email, letter, or phone call. This bit of porcelain is like her, beautiful...and stronger than it would appear.
My mother brought this one back from India, years ago. It's made from silver and tortoise shell and once hung on a chain. Apparently the idea was to have something handy that smelled better than what (or who) was being passed by! That's the story my mother told me when she gave the gift.
This snuff bottle is my favourite of the collection. My husband found it in a small antique shop in New York and gave it to me for our seventeenth wedding anniversary. I love the carved lion in the jade.Quite a while back we had fun sharing pictures of dolls, so I thought I'd share my shadowbox with you...and ask...what do you like to collect?
8 comments:
Beautiful pictures! Wonderful stories! Thank you, Lorraine...
Joseph McG
I LOVE the gift from Jalna, the best! I used to collect: ethnic jewelry, pigs, anything with the Canadian flag, tie dye, Milan Kundera novels, stuff about Tacoma, JP Patches, shells (locally), and Hawaiian crafted jewelry. Not collecting as of late. Suggestions for this fine Gritizen?
I love it Lorraine. Small things take up so much less space and are more portable. When the children and I first moved back to WA from CA I started collecting single small salt & pepper shakers because I could get them for 10 or 20 cents at a local thrift store. It was a cheap hobby. I'd get the orphan ones which meant it really saved space. I have two sets of the shelves like yours with my collection on them in my Ilwaco kitchen. I finally had to call a hault to shakers. Once someone who buys you gifts finds out you collect you can get snowed under. Now I tell the children that if it requires dusting I'm not in the market. :-)
Your minatures are wonderful and the pictures, great. Thanks for sharing, Lorraine!
Kim, my husband has a little JP stuff, too and also collects Goofy, and Rocky & Bullwinkles as well as pigs, but we have stopped the piggies as they were taking over his den. The children love to find stuff for us and we're drowning in it. Dave did get a set of piggie corn-on-the-cob handles for Christmas and we consider them functional and there was only one set. He'll enjoy them next summer when the corn gets ripe. :-)
Piggy corn-cob holders....I love it!!
Yes, one does have to be careful about being deluged, once people know you collect something...and I purposefully don't get a second shadowbox. My life still has to fit in one trunk to make me happy.
Kim, I can remember when Canadians were quite miffed over the 'new' flag of the simple red and white with the maple leaf. The old one still had a bit of the Union Jack in the corner, with maple leaves.
Stephanie...I'll have to show you Gram's Sunshine Bakery Chef salt and pepper set next time you're over!
Would love to see the Hawaiian-crafted jewelry Kim. I'm venturing a guess that you have a handbag collection too....lurved the pink one with fake fur trim from the other night!
Somebody must collect "brollies" (umbrellas) surely?!
I typically don't own umbrellas. Isn't that ridiculous?
Mossbacks don't need umbrellas...now there's a PNW bumper-sticker!
"Brollies." What if the Labor Day music celebration in Seattle was called "Brollie"?
I am browsing the internet looking for examples of jade that match a couple of bottles just purchased and stumbled upon your husbands collection..
What a great collection !
I like the jade bottle he has said to be a favorite.
Also he has the perfect display case !
If your husband enjoys sharing bottle collecting experiences with other collectors, would very much like to invite him to join in the fun at The Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum.. Would love having him !
http://snuffbottle.smfforfree.com/
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