A French Brocante Guessing Game

french brocante

 

 

The random winner of the antique ribbon from the last Brocante Game is:

Paulita

I am sorry I let it slide but it is hard to pick only one winner, even if I do so randomly, it is not easy to have one winner when everyone who responded in the comment section deserved one!

With that said, there is another French brocante guessing game… I cannot help myself… I love finding old things that I think you might not guess their purpose.

Crazy hobby of mine, which leads to crazy ideas.

 

 

old French painting

 

An oil painting in a gilded frame, with a chandelier hanging next to it.

Too easy for the French Brocante guessing game, anyone could guess that!

Maybe I should ask: "What castle out of the 40,000 that exist in France is it?"

But I won't ask, nor tell.

 

 

antique crown

 

A gold metal crystal crown used to adorn a statue of a saint's head. Hard to find. Highly collectible. Sold in a heart beat for the tune of 450 Euros. But not part of this French Brocante Guessing Game… only here to tease you.

I did not buy it, nor the other one that was beside it. 

 

breastfeeding chair

 

Chairs gathered at the brocante. Do you see the one in the far left corner, next to the ladder? It is called a "Breast Feeding Chair" the back is high, and the seat is low. They also are referred to as Chimney Chairs, as they are kept by the fireplace instead of a stool. But actually they are used for a mother nursing her baby by the fireplace;

Not part of the French Brocante Guessing Game either, though if you had a baby-

Did you breastfeed your baby or not?

I did, and had a chair too… but I sold it years ago. I wish I hadn't but that is how it goes, sell something to have something else.

 

French hardware

 

A cupboard door with its original hardware. Why do old things make my feet do a happy dance? Old paint, old handle, old door… yet I married a younger man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above video is a Show & Tell starring French Husband and an 1800s bowl.

(P.S. I do ask the vendors if I can take a photo of their stands, or objects before clicking my camera.)

 

 

Do you know what this is?

 

Another view: Made in ceramic.

 

 

brocante guessing game

 

The inside hollow, though it has bottom.

 

brocante guessing game

The other day at the brocante French Husband pointed out the above object, and asked me if I knew what it was. The smile on his face told me he knew what it was, and he assumed that I did not. I did not want to burst his bubble of happiness, but hey I have been at this game long enough, and am hard to stump.

Do you know what the above object is?

If you do know, add your guess to the comment section. The first person to guess correctly will win something old (I'll give you a choice of a few old collected things). If you do not know but want to respond with a creative guess, please do in the comment section. I will pick a winner from those comments as well, sending a prize to the winer.

Good Luck.

 



Comments

63 responses to “A French Brocante Guessing Game”

  1. A decorative tile of some sort?

  2. It is a container that you hang on the indoor heater. The heater is usually installed under a window sill. You pour water in the container and it evaporates making the air in the room less dry. The heaters are the old ones (ribbed-style) and hot water goes through the heaters.

  3. I don’t know how it is called but I think it is a recipient to put water on it , you hang it to the heat for humidity … well I don’t know exactly how to explain it

  4. I think it is a decorative tile for a fireplace surround, only this one is hollow and never secured so you can slide it out. It is then used as a secret hiding place for old love letters and tokens of affection to be pulled out on rainy days when your husband is at work.

  5. It slides into a bookshelf — like a book — and you can put pencils, pens and paper in the hollow.
    I’m sure this is absolute nonsense but it is something that just popped into my head when I saw the photo.

  6. I guess that was too easy for Europeans. 😉

  7. You gave it away Corey since googling the name “HYGRA” and ‘made in France’
    on the first photo gives you the answer:)

  8. It’s a hand warmer! Nice to take to a cold church!…Debbie

  9. Since everyone has already guessed what I was going to post, I will just say “Hi”.

  10. C, I have no idea what it is . . .but, I would love to know how much the oil in the guilded frame is . . .love it!

  11. Katiebell

    I gave my mum a book like this years ago, with a different kind of hollow though – for stashing her brandy in! 😉

  12. Christina

    right, this hangs usually between the radiator coils with water inside to humidify the air…
    though I like the idea of bookend…if you fill it with sand or something to make it heavy enough… sure would look pretty as well?

  13. It’s lovely!….I’m going to guess it’s a long match holder, you strike the match on the unglazed ceramic. Oh, with another section for stashing chocolate.

  14. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    Lovely but already guessed before I was even awake and reading your blog 😉 Love, love, love the jeweled crowne!

  15. Jean(ne) P in MN

    Being a flower person, I first thought it was some kind of vase that was slipped between somethings (?), but found the obvious answer already posted. Could use one in my very old house. Love all the others things, esp the animated barber’s bowl 🙂

  16. OK I see people have probably guessed it. I was going to say it attaches to the outside of the house to catch and redirect rain water, like a gutter.

  17. Brother Mathew

    Don’t know, but I like the video. Cool t-shirt Yann is wearing. Where did he get it??

  18. Half-awake, barely 3 sips into my coffee, but I as soon as I saw it, I knew it was for the radiators that we had in our home in Germany so long ago. Do many home still have those radiators any more? Best wishes! Kirsten

  19. Susan young

    A ceramic book that goes on top of a gravestone, and the deceased name us put on the cover of the book,

  20. You put it between your counter and stove so food will not fall into the crack . It was made hollow so that it woudn’t be heavy!

  21. Mmd. Tortoise

    I have no idea about the use
    for the piece shown but
    wanted to say that perhaps
    younger husband has an
    old soul and therein
    lies the attraction.
    XO

  22. It looks like it goes on aKitchen shelf to hide your brocante money in. And everyone would think it is a cookbook and leave it alone. Kind of like the teapot stash. I know this is not really it but it was my attempt at a clever use for it.

  23. A humidifier? You fill it with water and put it on the shelf above the stove – where it is disguised as a book.

  24. Har Har Mat
    You made it for the Ninety Ride around twenty years ago and Yann still wears it. My motto regarding Yann’s clothing is: If I don’t love it then it doesn’t go in his closet. Otherwise it will be a constant part of his body for the next fifty years.
    You sister

  25. Maybe an early form of Febreze. You could put herbs or potpourri in it with a bit of water,by the oven or fireplace. The heat would activate the scent chambers. However, the guess of humidifier sounds more practical.

  26. I actually used to covet a brass version of this that lived in my old office in Toronto: you fill it with water and put it between the ribs of the radiator to add humidity in winter. I wish they still made them — I’d buy a dozen 🙂
    Noelle

  27. I was going to say a section of a sink pedestal, but I think there are others that seem to know that it is not.

  28. It’s something lovely that you’d put on your bookshelf between your big volumes of Chaucer and Shakespeare and then your little black cat, who loves to climb on bookshelves, would get up there and stick his paws into the opening and dig in there frantically (because he’s a digger) until he knocks it on the floor and breaks it. Like he’s done with so many things. Which is why I’m all about protecting my nice things with heavy glass cloches.
    OR, it would be a really great way to prop up the left side of my old Celtic harp, which is kinda wobbly these days…

  29. A hand warmer?

  30. I see several people have already guessed the correct answer, well I suppose those aren’t “guesses” then 🙂
    I love these games because reading all the comments is so fun! By the way I would have never guessed the shaving bowl. I thought the thing was chipped 🙂

  31. Too late to guess, but I thought it involved water, because of the water stain (rust). That’s for guessing game. I loved the crown too, very pretty.

  32. Marie-Noëlle

    Noelle got it !!! BRAVO !!!

  33. Funny how we all love a challenge… and a guessing game.N Nobody answered your question about breast-feeding, Corey! 😉 Veronique aka French Girl in Seattle

  34. It’s a humidifier to fill with water and hang on one of those old iron radiators.

  35. Congratulations Paulita, she couldn’t have picked a better winner.

  36. You put water in this and slide it between the stones in a wall to make a lovely vase for flowers.

  37. Oh yeah, and yes I did breastfeed my son. Can’t recommend it more. Best time of my life.

  38. Ah, everyone know this. It is a pre paper shredder. One always needs to dispose of “secret” papers, therefore, they were folded up, placed in the dirty side to be burned—-the smoke escaping from the circular side. So compact and necessary before electricity entered our homes.

  39. Victoria Ramos

    Isn’t EVERY bowl for pasta???!!!???

  40. Hi! No guess for you but I do want to respond on the breastfeeding question!
    Yes, I sure did…just fully weaned about a month ago, actually, and I was soooo sad to do so as this was such a lovely binding time for Finn and me. He was 21 months, and had received amazing benefits from my milk – which really shows in his wonderful progress since being born so very premature.
    He had taken to calling my breasts or breastfeeding “Daisy” and just this morning I was changing in front of him and as I slipped down my pajama top and pulled my bra over my head, he pointed at my chest and said, “Hi Daisy!” and when I pulled my bra down said,” Bye Daisy!”. Too much information to share here? Sorry if anyone is offended but I thought it was so sweet.
    🙂

  41. It appears that many have answered correctly, but I must say that it reminds me of an old plant starter that my mother had in the shape of an iron. It had an ivy vine painted on it.
    Oh to have that crown, but alas the price is way out of my budget range!

  42. Brenda L. from TN.

    Well…I guess my guess is incorrect as most all on here are NOT guessing what I thought it was….it looks like a cermic end tile for a counter or above a fireplace to me…oh well…

  43. wish i was a little more clever,but i am not. can’t even make a guess as what it actually is or making up something. i ain’t got nothin. Bestest,Denise

  44. bugirl1@hotmail.com

    A cooler – spacer for an over-abundant décolletage. Placed in the center of one’s chest to cool down in the summer months.

  45. I had no idea but got really excited about guessing the name of the castle in the oil painting…. please please.

  46. For secret love letter…kept on a shelf and known only to two..

  47. Yes to the breastfeeding. I needed to supplement around 3 months but continued to breastfeed until he was about 2 years old.

  48. It is a secret document keeper made to look like a cookbook. You hide your secret love letters, mad money, and other secrets and set it on the cookbook shelf to hide amongst the real cookbooks. Only the cook knows! 😉

  49. Yay for me. I must have won because you felt sad that I had never won a ribbon. Now I have and the next time someone asks, I can tell the story of this blog.
    I had no idea what the mystery object was, but if it is a humidifier then the attention to detail is amazing.

  50. nah. it’s a pissoir. easy to grab and empty in the morning.
    😉

  51. Susana Stevens

    It’s a humidifier. You fill it with water and hang it on the radiator to put moisture back into the air. The narrow part fits in between the slats/rungs of the radiator.

  52. Cousin Chris

    I didn’t bother to read the other comments..this is so easy….it’s a Flower Vase that you use as bookend or divider. Well, that’s what I would use it for

  53. Corey, after seeing your French husband in a video with you behind the camera, it makes me curious about how you sound when speaking French. Can you do a video of yourself saying something, explaining something to us or reading using your best French? I just thought it would be fun. Having Yan in it would be nice, too. 🙂

  54. Lieselotte

    The answer for the ceramic humifier has already been given, but I think I know what the bowl was used for :
    In the 18th / 19th century, when venesection was still very commonly practised,such a plate was put next to the patients´arm to collect the blood … I saw that in a Jane Austen film the other day.

  55. it is…. (sweet) :))))

  56. Denise Griffiths

    OK I know I know!!? It’s a book (obvious). To be “read” at the local book club…. it’s contents to be sipped, as it would be filled with the clubs favourite tipple. Would make for some lively meetings! I also know I have a vivid imagination.xD

  57. Corey; I came up immediately with several ideas, the first one obviously would be a humidifier you push between the openings of an old iron heater. We have traditional cast iron heaters in our house in France and had them in our house in England too. They are magnificent and once they’re hot, they stay so for a loooong time!
    But right after I saw that they have an inscription on the front and I think it’s meant to insert in wall graves or lean against a head stone, with flowers in it and good to look at from all sides…
    I also thought quickly (more on a fun side because my brain IS working like that…) that it would pretend to be a book but really beautifully hide a special wine or liquor bottle but then I wouldn’t see why it’s also open on the ‘leaves/pages’ side, so maybe not!!
    I probably would stow away my brocante money…. but because I can’t go to brocantes often enough maybe I would just really us it to give the winter air a bit of a mellow touch, adding some of my lavender oil to the water and thus linking the necessary (humidify) with the heart-warming (lavender)…
    YESSSS, I did breastfeed, for eight months – and yes, it was a great time! And I would do it again, over and over….

  58. I don’t know, but I am interested in finding out.
    I have learned all sorts of interesting things reading your blog over the years 🙂

  59. You put water in it and attach it on a radiator to add humidity to the air…

  60. Ha, too late to have guessed it first! We, of course, do not have radiators in Louisiana, but I have seen one before! :o)….I did breast feed both of my sons, and they have always been healthy, never broke a bone, never in the hospital sick! God blessed me with two very healthy and smart boys!

  61. I have no time to read all the above messages… Anyway, I guess that it’s a humidifier (to be put into a old, big radiator)… Ciao!

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