A paper weight from the World Fair in Paris during the 1800s.
Over the last few weekends there have been several massive brocantes. Yesterday there was one in a town by Nimes that I enjoy going to.
We left the day before and spent the night in a little B & B in the center of town. Had dinner with some friends and in the morning walked over to the brocante.
That is my idea of fun.
Here are some of the things I have found recently:
Antiques that are worn tender.
Where stories unfold.
18th century piece of red toile and a small catch tray.
Some things I keep, most things I sell.
That is the trade off… if I sell some I can keep some, but more importantly I can go to the brocantes where I enjoy the hunt.
Ironstone 1900s Dijon mustard jar.
18th century paperbacks are what I like best, but leather ones with gilded writing on them strike a cord as well.
Chunky beveled glass sides, and a faded blue cushion inside, better than chocolate and the flavor last longer too.
Long hand carved wooden rosaries.
I have a thing for religious things.
Gilded wooden frame, unusual shape with old French print.
I also have a thing for romantic images. Sure modern is appealing, with it clean lines, open zen like feel… But where would I put the old peeling, worn, 101 little things?
Modern means no brocante, or rarely. That is a diet I do not want to do.
Birthday candle sticks holders.
Okay they are probably doll house candle sticks, or part of a Priest's traveling altar set.
French Antique Documents
dated from the 1800s, beautiful hand scripted, most with seals.
Forget religious and romantic things… ephemera is my first antique love.
Handwritten documents.
Where will our daily lives be told, our history recalled in this computer age. if tomorrow the internet crashed, every single blog post of mine (and others) would vanish. Maybe I should print them… two thousand entries poof gone. How long would it take to print out two thousand entries and 7000 photos?
1900s, French.
Monogram N.C.
Pure cotton, elegant.
Oversized like all antique French napkins.
Dusty Champagne Rose.
A faux pair of Black and ivory transfer-ware dessert plates.
French antiques 1800, called postcard plates or in this case seasonal plates depicting the months.
Click for a close up view.
French antique jewelry elements.
Where to go antiquing in France?
Hand mirror that I found a few moons ago.
Urns are my favorite. Okay everything is my favorite.
Urns can hold collections… bottle stoppers and knobs.
Little things that can squeeze into:
The little things I have collected, that have no real value on their own, due to a chip, or a crack or a tear…Instead of throwing the defaulted bits and pieces away, or disregarding them to a chest of drawers never to be seen again- I have collected these fragments of yesterday and display them in apothecary jars. Creating them into, "scrapbooks or "scrapjars," you might say.
Dusty collectors hardly.
Old chairs too good to sit on.
Old things put together make this.
Square Floral Pin
French 1900s
Why not use it with a ribbon tied around some books.
Chipped pottery.
Old paper turned into tags. Make you own… recycled!
Brocanting is recycling.
I use to think those souvenir spoons were silly. Now i cannot get enough of them. Great for coffee, sugar, in a spice jar… I use them constantly.
Large round French gold metal medal.
Romantic French silver metal, Rocco style, double arm candlestick.
Tarnished though can be polished to shine.
1900s, French.
Brioche tins.
In the end most the old things I buy can be summed up in a few bites.
I think I had food on my mind.
Leave a Reply