Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Pictures of Pieces from Belgium, France & the Netherlands
Kettle warmer from 1800's. Best condition we have ever had!
Early coal caddy
Cutting block for 
traveling butcher. Dated 1660's
traveling butcher. Dated 1660'sFoot stoves for cathedrals from the late 1700's
Linen Press from the late 1700's
Tantalus Set, Best I have ever seen!
Black Forest statue
19th century Swiss smoking stand
English chest on chest from late 1800's
A Black Forest flower stand
2 early 19th century bibles with sterling locks
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
GREAT STUFF!!!
Leaving Belgium this afternoon and have gotten some great things! From armoires, foot stoves to a special cutting board from the middle of the 1600's. The array of stuff is great! Sorry for not uploading any pictures, but the internet was deathly slow here. Hopefully they will be up to speed in Milan. Ciao ciao.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Premier Arrive, Premier Servi
One city I will be buying in is Parma, Italy. If you wanna talk good food this place is a Mecca. Parmesan cheese originated in the region as well as 'parma ham' or as we call it 'prosciutto ham'. It is left in these drying areas for 2 to 3 months. Soooo good.
warren@antiqueatticdothan.com
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Larger Pictures?
Forgot to mention that if you click on the pictures, it goes to a larger and more detailed version.
Early 19th Century Girondelle Mirror
Very Unique Gilt Gesso Girondelle Mirror.
Now what is a Girondelle? Simply it is a mirror with attached candle holders to help illuminate a room pre-light bulb era. So we are talking a 200 year old decorative object! History lesson time...
Oil lamps have been around for sometime, in one form or another. But the first version of what we know as a oil lamp was created in a Swiss lab around 1783. Everything from olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil and nut oil were used to provide fuel for lights.
This was a huge jump on previous designs being as the oil was enclosed in a metal or glass housing with a glass chimney to keep you from burning your house down every night when you went for your midnight snacks. The very next year coal gas was introduced as a lighting fuel. The next jump came in the 1850's with the discovery of kerosene, aka parrafin oil. Only 20 years later, Thomas and his crew invented the first electric incandescent lamp. So in short that is why most of us have never heard the term "Girondelle Mirror", except maybe for the people of Girondelle, France where the idea for the lit mirror came from.
Now what is a Girondelle? Simply it is a mirror with attached candle holders to help illuminate a room pre-light bulb era. So we are talking a 200 year old decorative object! History lesson time...
Oil lamps have been around for sometime, in one form or another. But the first version of what we know as a oil lamp was created in a Swiss lab around 1783. Everything from olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil and nut oil were used to provide fuel for lights.
This was a huge jump on previous designs being as the oil was enclosed in a metal or glass housing with a glass chimney to keep you from burning your house down every night when you went for your midnight snacks. The very next year coal gas was introduced as a lighting fuel. The next jump came in the 1850's with the discovery of kerosene, aka parrafin oil. Only 20 years later, Thomas and his crew invented the first electric incandescent lamp. So in short that is why most of us have never heard the term "Girondelle Mirror", except maybe for the people of Girondelle, France where the idea for the lit mirror came from.
Back to Work...
Another piece to come in is a Victorian Eastlake Rocking Chair. This walnut platform rocker is from the early 1900's and is just as smooth as it was 100 years ago!
It is argued about the first origins of the rocking chair started in England or Sweden in the early to mid 1700's. The idea of a rocker is much older, but it was used for things like baby cribs and such. It wasn't much later than the British that Americans took their existing Windsor chairs and refashioned the legs into what we now know as rockers. It might not have originated in America, but we definitely took to the design much more than the Europeans. Trivia Pursuit Fact: President Lincoln was shot while sitting in a Victorian Rocker at Ford's Theatre.
Not sure how many readers are woodworkers or wanna-be's like myself, but one of the best rockers ever designed was by a fellow named Sam Maloof.
Sam passed away this year in May at the age of 93. He was still working on designs at the time of his death! He has been descibed as the "Hemingway of Hardwood" and has many of his designs in museums all across America. President Reagan had one in the White House during his presidency. Just perfect...
It is argued about the first origins of the rocking chair started in England or Sweden in the early to mid 1700's. The idea of a rocker is much older, but it was used for things like baby cribs and such. It wasn't much later than the British that Americans took their existing Windsor chairs and refashioned the legs into what we now know as rockers. It might not have originated in America, but we definitely took to the design much more than the Europeans. Trivia Pursuit Fact: President Lincoln was shot while sitting in a Victorian Rocker at Ford's Theatre.
Not sure how many readers are woodworkers or wanna-be's like myself, but one of the best rockers ever designed was by a fellow named Sam Maloof.
Sam passed away this year in May at the age of 93. He was still working on designs at the time of his death! He has been descibed as the "Hemingway of Hardwood" and has many of his designs in museums all across America. President Reagan had one in the White House during his presidency. Just perfect...
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