Dear Bubby...It Takes Boules

I am currently bidding on this lot of antique English lawn bowling balls and have had to explain to Bubby, that no, I have not lost all leave of my avian senses!

Apparently he was under the misguided impression that there was some kind of design strategy happening with the flat, and has now come to the realisation that, instead, the theme is just plain random 'I like-y, therefore, I want-y', with the belief that it will all tie in somehow in the end!

At my first car boot sale a few weeks back I saw a woman selling these for £8 each. She had them stacked in a big bowl, like below. They looked lovely.

image via Shepton's Antiques

Here are some more basket shots:

What a fantastically styled flea market stand! Yum.

They do seem to look better in a basket/bowl when you have enough to pile up on each other. This display below looks a little lonely.

images above via Velvet and Linen 

Here are a bunch of mixed balls in a grouping.

image via Graham Atkins Hughes
 

If you only have a few, this minimal kind of display is more effective. The row of three looks quite nice.

A solitary minimalist one?

Or maybe a pair, like these two 'nailed' (or cloutées) antique French boules. 

image via Home and Design

During my research on the different kinds of lawn bowling, from country to country, I discovered something interesting. The French balls are a little smaller than the English, and they frequently covered them in metal nails to make them stronger and also to repair cracks.

They developed an amazing array of techniques with different nails to cover them, some looking like fish scales, other like hob nailed little wonders. Of course, decorations began popping up and everything from numbers to initials were worked into the designs.

Here is a gorgeous old sign from a French Boules manufacturer in Paris via website on the history of boules, Les Boule Cloutées. You can see the star and circle designs that they would have done in the illustration.

The workmanship is absolutely stunning. Here is an real example of the star design:

An example of the overlapping 'fish scale' method:

It is pretty amazing to see the difference in before and after restoration of the boules.

Here is the rusted, neglected before:

And the carefully polished after:

images above via Les Boules Cloutées

How satisfying a project would that be?! Below are some boxes awaiting restoration. Would love to get my claws on these.

Some lovingly restored examples.

images above via Joy of Bocce

images above via Ruby Lane

What beautiful objects, with such a rich history!

It makes you wonder what will happen to this sport over the next few years as the few, older people still playing the game trundle off to aviaries in the sky.

Maybe it is time to take up a new, gentle on the joints, sport as we creep into our own old age?

Boules, anyone?

Antiques & Decorative Fair 3

Here are the rest of the images from the Antiques & Decorative Fair that I attended Friday night.

Posing with some immaculate Victorian vellum suitcases from Victoria Harvey. How I would love these!

This shop had some truly beautiful things. The following is an antique wooden processional figure or mannequin.

 More wooden figures...without arms!

These millinery displays below were quite popular in the fair. They remind me of mexican folk art.

 Here is a similar head from another shop on Church Street, Raffles.

More body parts.

It was interesting to note how differently the booths were styled, according to their wares.

There were a lot of examples of the 'country french' aesthetic, with many chairs reupholstered in crisp natural linens and distressed white furniture.

This was a particularly striking display by the charming gent at Martin D. Johnson Antiques, with antique paperbacks, apothecary bottles, fresh cherry boughs and antique french lithography blocks.

Here is a detail of the stunning cast iron devil doorstops:

This little lovely was one of the most precious things I saw in the fair..the only thing I really wished could come home with me. It is approx 6 x 5 inches.

The photo doesn't do it justice. The artist was obviously a Rembrandt fan, and they did a good job of mimicking his luminescent style.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this fair. I went expecting it to be somewhat high brow and stuffy, especially considering its Chelsea location. Instead, I found it relaxed with tons of knowledgeable dealers, passionate about their wares and willing to share what they knew. Good fun.

Antiques & Decorative Fair 2

I managed to get to the Antiques and Decorative Fair on Friday night, as I had hoped.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the fair quiet and civilized, instead of the usual rammed madness you find at London fairs!

There was plenty of time and space to relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the wares and the exhibitors were a lovely bunch of folk, more than willing to engage in a bit of play with one little owl!

Speaking of which, here are some gorgeous items with my brethren:

This carved folk art beauty was part of a shrine at one of the booths:

A little treasure trove of jewelled owl match strikers:

At the same booth, some tiny, delicate embroidery scissors:

The charming woman who was selling these items had some amazingly unique items. Like these bone dog...things...!

Shamefully, I forgot to take a picture of the name of the shop, as I was so taken with her wares! Bad Winston.

I did see quite a few more odd items throughout the fair that made me scratch my head...for example, this rather sinsister gas mask lamp!

I found myself trying to picture the room this would work in, but failing miserably. It was almost so ugly/weird that it was fabulous...but just fell short somehow...!

This large item was obviously a child's leather toy (in an antique Victorian shower!), but I was a bit stumped as to whether it was a pig or a dog. Pigdog. Either way, ugly/cute.

A few covetable wooden wares.

A decanter set.

Accountants cabinet.

Lawyers lockers.

This display of antique fish prints was beautiful, and oddly enough, I think I saw the exact same images available for download on Vintage Printable the other day. Someone must have scored the same book, and was kind enough to share!

Tempted to print up a fish wall. The Asian antique laquer frames really make the display, though.

Also found myself drawn to this enormous fruit jar. Wondering what kind of fruit would have been preserved in it.

There were so many interesting things to share with you, that I got a bit overwhelmed and erred on the side of plenty...

To be continued!

Antiques and Decorative Fair

I am hoping to be able to get to the The Decorative Fair one night this week at Battersea Park, and hopefully see some of these antique treasures.

This is an antique milliner's hat block. Must have been used for pinning soft hats.

Gorgeous vellum books. Would love to see vellum in real life, as I have only ever seen it online/print. Wonder if it still smells of leather.

Old lockers.

With over 140 exhibitors of antique and vintage wares, there should be some good photo ops to share.

I will keep you posted.

Twinkle Twinkle

In my madness, am seriously considering how long it would take to put together a ship chandelier. I have been seeing ones cropping up for months and am always entranced by how magical they look in a room.

Zgallerie makes these ones for $799 in  California, which is a bit rich for my blood:

 They do look lovely in a room though.

Looks like they might have modeled it off of this antique one for $2000! Eek.

Here is a gorgeous antique Celtic one. Anchor and rudder are a great touch:

The next one is listed on 1stdibs with no price. Would hate to see how much it is going for. Listed as early 1890s.

Amazingly, they have some very detailed shots of the wirework and it looks even simpler than I'd thought.

Looks like there is only a simple wire frame and the crystals are attached with a thinner, handwoven wire web. Much easier than soldering every join. Hmmm...A solder iron, some wire, TONS of crystals and a few months should probably do it, non? (no, I am NOT kidding! Figure it would be like making jewellery, only on a much larger scale.). The only thing I would really need, which I don't have, is patience!

I want the celtic looking one with the dragon's head, though. Dragon's head. Must be able to find one somewhere I can modify.
Then I started thinking 'Ok, if not a ship, then what? What other forms would be interesting?' ...and of course someone has already gone there!

Check THIS OUT! By a company called Rock and Royal in Rotterdam:

The artist, Hans van Bentem, will make anything you want, as evidenced by the below 'meat and two veg' chandelier. Now I am all for a good laugh, but not sure I would want this one hanging over my dining room table!

A few more - these umbrellas are quite whimsical.

Oh, so very tempting. Only thing is what would I make...and where would I put it?

Will this be one of those failed attempts at wonderous madness? Must roost and think!