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I may have mentioned before that we are an unadventurous pair who rarely venture further than the shores of this little island. But yesterday, as I surveyed the heap of motley odds and ends we'd found on our travels round the North of England over the past few days, I realised that, in a way, the world tends to come to us. I'll show you what I mean.
Here is a pretty Victorian hand-quilted patchwork from County Durham...
...and lying on top of it, an old Aboriginal boomerang from Australia, carved with snakes,
a Chinese medal from the 1920s bearing a portrait of the founding father of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen,
two tiny Inuit carved polar bears, barely an inch long, squaring up to each other
and Japanese porcelain dragons coiling their tails around a miniature vase.
Here, in antique Norwegian wood, are some beautiful carved servers.
Nearly home now - a 1920s embroidered sampler from France, made into a pretty cushion. Which sends me off at a tangent on a different journey, back in time. I wonder if anyone else remembers this?
All Over The World by Francoise Hardy - it transports me back to teenage love.
Perhaps you have to have been there - way back in 1965.
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Aaah Francois Hardy. Lovely memories. I was an au pair in Paris when that song came out. I lost my original 45 disc years ago but more recently found a second hand copy at a French vide grenier ( car boot sale). Btw I am all over the world at the moment visiting my Australian family and am wondering is that boomerang for sale? If so please email me ( see my profile page) with the price. Thanks! Cx
ReplyDeleteLovely memories indeed! The boomerang is now in our little tribal art collection I'm afraid. Hope you are having a wonderful time in Australia!
DeleteThe treasure findeth (not sure it's a word... but I like it!) the seeker. And what treasures you two do find on your travels around our shores. I've kicked myself more than once to pass on some of the lovely primitive paintings you sell on ebay. Good hunting, you've obviously got the 'eye'.
ReplyDeleteLLX
We've certainly got a passion for treasure-seeking. So much of the fun is finding out about the interesting things when we get back home. Not sure all antique dealers feel this way!
DeleteI have a wanderlust personality, but on reflection at this moment in time, you are probably the wiser in letting the world come to you. I have picked up a rotten chest infection from my last trip.
ReplyDeleteI really think our lack of wanderlust is a matter of habit - if we made ourselves travel further afield I'm sure we'd get "the bug" too!
DeleteTo travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. To stay put and see what turns up is a grand idea.
ReplyDeletejean x
I think it's the cowards way myself. We aren't very adventurous - though I feel tempted by Scandinavia at the moment...
DeleteA wonderful selection of treasures, no need to travel! Did you say the north east?!!!! Where were you, were you close to me? I would love to meet you one of these days on your travels. Bet I was in the Wensleydale when you were here!
ReplyDeleteYou have to remember that I'm from the South Eastern corner of England so everywhere north of Lincoln is The North to me! The quilt was a recent find at the Gateshead Stadium fair - everything else was found in Yorkshire.
DeleteAh Francoise Hardy.... she transported me back to a time when I was in love with all things French including one special young woman ....
ReplyDeleteThose were the days - Francoise Hardy certainly expressed my teenage heartaches very well!
DeleteIt sounds like you're in that nostalgic frame of mind that creeps up on us sometimes when we wonder where the people we knew are now. Those are such beautiful wooden spoons, I imagine you keep them under glass.
ReplyDeleteI'm a complete wallower in nostalgia these days - and I know it is because I'm - er - old!
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