A Brocante Feast for the Soul

Puppet heads

 

One never knows what one will find at the brocante.

The pleasure of the hunt is the unexpected, the discovery of old objects, the stories that old objects evoke, the emotion that stirs up with wanting and letting go.

As today was the first weekend in months of cold, wet, unfriendly brocante weather, brocantes sprouted everywhere in the heart of Provence. Bringing a wave of beautiful antiques to the surface. 

Early this morning I had a tough decision to make: Which brocante to go to first. Oh the joy, after such withdrawal, of having that decision to make.

 

French puppets

 

One of my favorite antique vendors never disappoints has an eye for clever, unique and hard to find curiosities.

From her bags and boxes of long ago treasures, she pulled out a set of antique puppet heads. Worn lovingly from play. Such pristine happiness in toys that survive the life of childhood.

Madame "Best Taste", told me that her father was a puppeteer. Not only did he direct the strings, but he also designed puppets for some of the best theaters in Europe.

Yes, the brocante in more than old things… it is the conversation, the stories, that tell our lives to one another. Stories from strangers, or from people such as Madame Best Taste, that maybe never would be shared if an object of curiosities didn't tie us together.

I bought the puppet heads. 

 

Antique tabernacle

 

A seventeen-century tabernacle. 

Why not?

It is not every day that a tabernacle appears at the brocante. The antique dealer had closed his shop in Isle sur la Sorgue, deciding to sell-out at the brocante. Years of collecting spread out around his van.

 

 

 

Antique ivory chess pieces

 

Eighteen-century, hand-carved chess pieces.

A complete set.

Who would want to let them go? Such an intricate work of art.

The larger pieces, secretively unscrewed. Were smelling salts or gun powder or other powerful stuff could be hidden.

As I toyed with them in my hand it was hard to imagine anything so divine, made as well. A plastic chess piece at the dollar shop doesn't evoke much imagination, let alone beauty. 

 

 

 

 

Antique hand-painted marriage box

 

A wooden, hand-painted marriage box. Boxes such as these would contain a married couple's important papers, as a filing cabinet or computer does today.

A hand-painted box. It sort of made we want to decorate my plain looking laptop. Collage it or something.

 

 

Antique Swedish clock

 

Standing as tall as the trees surrounding it an antique Swedish clock happened to stop by at the French brocante. 

In the nearly thirty years that I have been going to the brocantes, I can expect to see certain old things: Linens, books, dishes, clocks, urns, pottery… and usually I can count of one or two eighteen century pieces, most likely is sad shape… but a Swedish clock? At an antique market yes, but at a weekend brocante? That is like seeing a diamond in the cracker jack box.

 

French Wooden champagne bottle racks

 

A pair of century old wooden champagne (or wine) bottle racks, a wooden farm table, a gold metal candelabra, a painting, an iron chain.

 

 

French antique,confit pot

 

A white worn antique Provencal confit pot.

This came home with me.

The dealer apologized for its sorry state. Little did he know that those worn, cracked, wrinkles of years of being used sing to me. Perfection for me doesn't come in neat new packages.

 

 

French painting, lunch in the garden

 

A small oil painting sat on a chair, I named it, "Lunch in the Garden".

That was my day, soaking in the sun at the brocante feasting on the soul of things that lived to tell.

 



Comments

33 responses to “A Brocante Feast for the Soul”

  1. Oh, Corey! How I wish that I had been there. For me, you really captured the feeling of going to the brocante in this post. I think I will buy something from your brocante as a consolation prize. I was going to buy the item anyway.

  2. The tabernacle box is lovely.

  3. Wonderful finds! How fun to see.

  4. Definitely not made in China? ๐Ÿ™‚ I like the table the candelabra is on! My little desk is such an imposter, but I make do. Lovely things surround and sit atop it, but what I wouldn’t give to tag along with you for one day.
    Another lovely post Corey.

  5. Oh yes, you would guess it right. The tabernacle took my breath away. Oh how I would have loved to have seen it much less HAVE it.
    Happy hunting to you, Corey, as the warm weather continues.

  6. Lorraine

    I so hope you bought the beautiful Gustavian clock!

  7. i am looking over your shoulder as you shop! i am in total agreement over your acquisitions. can’t wait for you to put in on your shop..

  8. That clock! The puppets! But oh, those chess pieces!! (we have two budding chess fiends at home) How extraordinary — I’ve never seen a set quite like that.
    Thank you for letting us peek over your shoulder ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Patti Lloyd

    I, too, feel the satisfaction is in the hunt, discovering that diamond in the cracker jack…or something like the confit pot that was a diamond to you. Only a fellow junque gypsy can understand the yumminess of it all, as our husbands roll their eyes.

  10. Amylia Grace

    I loved this brocante post…the puppets and the puppetmasters daughter and the treasures–those chess pieces! Great post!!

  11. Oh my what a lovely day and I loved everything you photographed!

  12. Reading your brocante post is like hot flashes. My heart starts racing, palms get sweaty, heat launches from my toes. I shudder to think how my body would react if I actually went to the brocante. I am sure I could find an antique vial of smelling salts. ๐Ÿ™‚ So many beautiful treasures. The chess set, my gosh, how beautiful! And the urn! I even like the chain. Thanks for sharing your wonderful day.

  13. ooooooooh!! All such lovely things.

  14. becky up a hill

    Lovely post. I’m antsy to go hunting. One of my favorite sales is coming soon. Signed, cold and beautiful in Monterey!

  15. you know it really does not matter whether i am old or young. it is not wise to stir up my โ™ฅ beat with all the enticements that you manage to find or buy. oh well, more power to you. reading about your finds are my “get away” and i guess i can tolerate that. TOO FUN. Bestest.

  16. diane – florida

    oh how my heart aches for the brocante.

  17. Oh how my heart yearns to be in France at a brocante, now spring has sprung for good! I almost went to our Sunday flea market here in Malta (weather perfect!) but I ended up doing a whole day of garden chores (before heat hits big time!). You’ve spurred me on to get there next week though, poste haste, as the spring warmth will have brought canny-eyed buyers out in droves, and I want to find some amazing finds (in my dreams) like you chance across in Provence. Wish me luck! The husband very sceptical of old paraphernalia and far less tolerant than yours of hoarding ‘junk’!

  18. Oh, how I wish that I could accompany you one day!

  19. Niki Weippert

    You hit the jackpot, Corey! Seeing things like that just makes my heart sing. The marriage box was lovely and the box on the chair in front of the clock would have been in my suitcase for sure! Don’t you wish all the antiques could talk and tell you their history and who has owned them.

  20. That clock makes me swoon! And the confit pot – I want that one! But I suppose it’s one you are gonna keep!

  21. Such beautiful and diverse items – a true treasure hunt- and find!

  22. Ahhh..”one person’s junk is another’s treasure” truer words have never been spoken. The hunt is the exciting part, then the unpacking treasures! + which part is the most exciting? xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

  23. Frank Levin

    What a wonderful day shopping! The finger puppets are amazing. Here, in Oregon, the weather is starting to moderate as well and the garage and yard sales are starting to appear. On Saturday everybody was quite bundled up, but we found a few things. I am still, however, suffused with jealousy at the wonders that you found. Ah, well; in sixty days we will be in France.
    Happy hunting Corey!

  24. Frank Levin

    What a wonderful day shopping! The finger puppets are amazing. Here, in Oregon, the weather is starting to moderate as well and the garage and yard sales are starting to appear. On Saturday everybody was quite bundled up, but we found a few things. I am still, however, suffused with jealousy at the wonders that you found. Ah, well; in sixty days we will be in France.
    Happy hunting Corey!

  25. Corey…I would say true treasure was found at the brocante…the marriage box and the table top chandelier were calling out to me today! What a fantastically successful day.. Kristin

  26. OMG COREY,I SWEAR I DIDNOT SEE YOUR TITLE TO THIS POST AS I SCROLLED DOWN IT LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS THEN I HAD TO GO BACK UP AND CLICK ON THE TITLE TO LEAVE A COMMENT!AS I WAS SCROLLING BACK UP I WAS THINKING WHAT COMMENT SHOULD I MAKE?MY WORDS EXACTLY WERE “A FEAST FOR THE SOUL”NOW HOW ABOUT THAT!WE SHARE SO MANY OF THE SAME THOUGHTS AND THINGS!BY THE WAY I’M WEARING MY NIGHT SHIRT AND LOVING IT!I WAS A WINNER WAY BACK WHEN!I HOPE SPRING STAYS FOR YOU EUROPEANS………IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS ARRIVED HERE IN CALIFORNIA!

  27. I would give anything for 5 minutes with you at the brocante! Second thought: five minutes, who am I kidding?

  28. The chess pieces are wonderful. Corey, I think I could pick your hands out in a “line-up” after seeing them holding so many wonderful things.

  29. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    All these lovely things and sunshine too. What a nice day for you!

  30. Nancy in Solana Beach

    Oh, I just love the Swedish clock. I have seen many of them in my relatives’ homes in Sweden. Continue to enjoy yourself in the search for each and every perfect item.
    So glad you had a sunny day!!!

  31. a beautiful old floor canves…although it is much to pretty to step on!!!!

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