Weekend Treasures

Wasn’t planning on buying stuff last weekend, but the church rummage sale was only a few miles from my house.  So convenient! I got there a few minutes before the sale started and was at the end of a long line of folks (30 or so). When the doors opened and we all trooped/sprinted in, the jewelry table quickly became mobbed so I headed for the knick-knack/holiday decoration tables. I was hoping to find some vintage Christmas or Halloween decorations…perhaps a box of 1950s glass ornaments!

This stuff can be like gold!  Alas, alas, no luck. Darn!

But still I felt there was something here on these tables for me. SOMETHING!

And then I spotted what I thought were two old wood cookie molds. You know the kind that make those delicious German springerle cookies. (Cool.) And a small vintage ceramic Mexican owl figurine. (Fab.) And later an artisan-made ceramic vase. (Super.) Not a huge haul, but I was happy with my finds. All nice things with a bit of age.

In the car reviewing my purchases, I noticed that the carving in my cookie mold had Chinese characters…hmmm, perhaps NOT a cookie mold. After a few minutes research I discovered theses are Chinese rice cake molds. One is obviously old and has the beautiful wear and patina of decades of usage. That’s what drew me to it! It has soul.

Here’s the older mold. I’m guessing it’s 60+ years old.

And my Mexican ceramic owl had a tiny maker’s mark. I happily discovered that the “underlined W” mark is for Mexican artist Jorge Wilmot. (“Born 1928 and died 2012, he was one of the most distinguished artisans of Mexico, and has been credited with the introduction of stoneware and other high fire techniques to the country.” – wikipedia) This little owl is not one of his high-end pieces, but still it’s quite charming!

The signature on the ceramic tree vase is still a mystery, but the vase shows real skill. I’ll keep researching it, but regardless of who made it, it is attractive and perfect for fall. Don’t you think?

Later I made a quick stop into Goodwill and found this mid-century Figgjo-Flint, Norway, Turi-Design ceramic skillet. Love the graphics on this.

I know some people come away from a rummage sale or a thrift store with bags of stuff. BAGS. That almost never happens to me. But I am happy when I find a few things…a few GOOD things…that go on to good homes and other lives!!

And every once in a while I learn more about where my pieces land. A vintage puzzle I sold was sent as a birthday gift for a friend and a piece of vintage doctor’s equipment is going to used as part of the buyer’s “mad scientist Halloween costume”! And an antique Meriden B. & Co. silverplate tray was sold to a set decorator. Turns out the tray will be a prop in an upcoming TV series called “The Son” with Pierce Brosnan. Yes!!! (Okay, I know the tray may never see the light of day on the set, but you know I’m going to be looking for it when the show airs!)

Anyway, had a great time finding my weekend treasures and now it’s back to the not-so-fun stuff…like packing up and shipping a globe. Thankfully I have the perfect-sized box and tons of packing peanuts!

How about you?  Find any treasures this past weekend??