French Antique Fish Chocolate Mold,
On April 1st the French give each other chocolate fish called: "Friture." The tradition has it that on the 1st of April children try to stick a homemade paper fish onto people’s backs without the person knowing it, then run away yelling ‘poisson d’avril’, which is like saying, "April Fool". The tagged person is meant to give the trickster fritures, small chocolate fish.
Since Easter is usually around April 1st, the chocolate fish "fritures" are given at Easter as well.
Many of the French homes within the old town centers have hand door knockers. We have one on our door, and I am gonna tell you that when someone knocks on our door with it I have jumped out of my skin more than once. So much so that I have put a matching cotton pad (the kind you put under a chair's foot so that it won't scratch the floor), on the base.. it absorbs most of the jumping-out-of-ones-skin sound when knocked.
A 1900s corset for a doll.
I don't have dolls. But certain doll vetements (clothes) are too sweet to pass up.
Handmade beauties, most likely made by a child's mother.
1900s French cafe au lait bowls.
French Husband's grandmother gave us hers when we first were married. Some were chipped, and they are still chipped and loved.
In general cafe au lait bowls are used at home, rarely used, I would say never, but that is a strong word, in a public dining place.
Cranberry colored ones (such as above) are classic.
I happen to like the heavy ironstone white ones.
1800s Provencal chocolate pot. Glazed terre cuite. This one is large. Most likely a family's chocolate pot. A chocolate pot such as this (handle on the side) was placed on the edge of the kitchen's fireplace to heat up the milk and melt the chocolate.
An antique metal, chunky but delicate, pedestal jewelry box.
with pink silk tufted interior.
Looks like a rosary. Though it is not… only five beads instead of ten in each decade. I think it has something to do with the stations of the cross. Note the medals in between the beads are of Christ's pierced hands, feet, and heart. Though I am not sure.
The story is waiting to be told.
Homemakers from another era had craft projects too.
The photo above is a hand made brush and comb holder.
The brush and comb holders are never the same, but they always have two spaces: One for a brush, another for a comb. Some have mirrors, some are made only with fabric, this one is framed and has an engraving added to it to make it "jolie" which means "pretty" in French.
A French 1920s decorative bronze lock cover.
A French 1900s beauty mark box. It still has khol inside of it.
Turn of the century children's notebooks with there grades added to the top. 10 being the highest note.
Bicycling map of a section of France.
I bet my brother Mat would love this.
It is a paper map, glued in sections on canvas. The sections make it easies to fold with out ruining the map.
A large antique cotton piece of fabric.
Faded roses with butterflies.
Yellow glaze, terre cuite, honey pots.
1900s.
The wide mouth, squatty ones are harder to find.
French antique starter clay garden pots.
I bought a green house full.
Why? For my online brocante shop of course.
Steadily the little starter pots have gone around the world.
Oversized dinner napkins with monograms.
Finding a certain monogram is amazingly hard given how many old monogrammed textiles there are in France. I remember reading once that Martha Stewart said she found it nearly impossible to find her initials. I must admit C.A. is easier than M.S.
Handmade lace is easy to find.
Lace panels not so easy.
A lace veil harder.
But lace ribbon, which was made and never used (and sadly the artist doesn't ever leave their name) is plentiful at the brocantes in France.
An ironstone toothbrush holder.
Chic.
Bets sticking in a cup.
Before salad spinners, and salad in a bag.
Wire iron basket.
Being "Green" was a given in the day.
Who threw away? Baskets, jugs, textiles were used everyday. Made to last.
Antique linen bread bags.
Enamelware chicoree cannister.
Instead of coffee, French Husband drinks chicoree for breakfast.
French antique hand tinted engravings.
Tell me what type of small antiques you collect or like? Leave me a comment telling me so, and I will randomly pick a few of you tomorrow and send you an engraving.
My latest antique crave? Ironstone with black lettering.
My all time favorite antique love? Ephemera and religious objects.
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