May 19, 2013

Mud Daub & Wattle: Vintage Turkey Plate


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This vintage plate is about 10 1/4 inches in diameter. It is unmarked but in excellent condition.

I’ve seen turkeys like this before. It was late fall and you could smell the earth of the corn fields.  There was a rising dusky scent with a slight acridity brought on by the recent rains. We were digging holes, doing a survey for one of the relentless housing projects brought on from the twin pressures of urban sprawl and declining farm economies.

The owner of the land, the orchard, and the cider mill was a giant, descended from an early governor of the state. He bore an uncanny resemblance to Shrek, which had just come out several months earlier, which the crew found unsettling. We’d sling the company van through the mud to get lunch from his store and he’d tap the cash register keys, ringing up our purchases, each key struck one at a time and ever so slowly.  Tap, tap . . .tap: tap 2,tap . , tap 5, tap 0, tap +, tap 1, tap ., tap 5, tap 0, tap sub total, tap total, “That’ll be four dollars.” Each transaction averaged three minutes, we had a crew of six and travel time was about five minutes each way. That left two minutes for lunch, but as workers will when out of the range of management, we took some liberties with how we used company time.

So it was during this stint that one sunny day the local public radio station was playing classical music during lunch time (remember when they used to do that?). It was not the weepy, reedy, thin stuff, but hearty, “let’s go work hard and play hard” fare. They put on the fourth movement of Dvorak’s new world symphony and we sailed that company van back to the dig site. Mud slinging, corn stalks flying, the crazed crew boss in command and the crew regretting becoming anthropologists (what with ignominious death in a muddy corn field on the line). It was then, as we made the turn along the old fence line, that we saw him in the road. It was hard to tell who was more startled, the old tom, or Colonel Kurtz.  The tom reacted by displaying his feathers. the crew boss by slamming on the brakes. The van kicked up a bow wave of mud, inundating the old tom who looked perturbed, as only an aged and pissed off  turkey can.

He should have considered himself lucky as the cooking time for test-pit turkey, of his age and size is about three hours. And the orchard would have provided plenty of firewood.

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May 19, 2013

Plague Doctors’ Day At The Track


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Early work by Del Filardi. Whimsical sculpture whose figures are reminiscent of 14th century plague doctors. Or, errr… Birds. Seeing that Filardi now specializes in life sized bird sculptures, she was probably attempting to create bird-ish figures. Or car-ish. Either way… It’s kinda fun and only slightly creepy.

13×8 and about 10 inches tall.

Available at the Estate Store West in Tualatin. Call or stop by Thursday – Sunday 10-4. 8380 SW Tualatin St. 503-612.0020

May 18, 2013

Vintage Solingen Cutlery Set, In Box, With Decorated Blade


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This set is still in the original gift box. It is in excellent condition and appears little used, which is a saving grace of sorts. The knife blade and fork are stainless which probably indicates a post World War Two origin.

I’ve seen a number of sets like this and they seem to have some into prominence at about the same time as electric knife sharpeners. Unfortunately even though there is a perfectly good sharpening steel included in the set many folks chose to use their electric sharpeners which typically savages the blade.

This one though has not suffered from such carelessness.

Interestingly one side of the knife blade is decorated with green leaves and yellow figures that suggest what the set is designed to carve. Elk, Deer, Boar or  game birds.

Vegan and vegetarians need not apply I guess . . .

The set was made by the venerable German firm of Anton Winger Jr. The handles are genuine antler.

 

May 18, 2013

Hot Dogs And Hot Rods


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Join us from 10-4 for the Clark Lumber True Value 5th Annual Classic Car and Auto Services Show in the parking lot of the Community Warehouse Estate Store West in Tualatin. There will be FREE hot dogs, pop and chips. As well as door prizes and some pretty sweet rides. This will surely be a event you don’t want to miss, so please come support our great neighbors True Value and of course, come take a peek at this week’s inventory.

May 17, 2013

Occupied Germany Luncheon Plate


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Following the cessation of the hostile bloodletting and barbarism that was known as the Second World War the victorious allies occupied both Japan and Germany.

Part of the victor’s psychology was to remind the vanquished that they were under the control of their former foes. For items produced in the occupied countries for export to American markets this was in part accomplished by ensuring the makers marks bore an acknowledgement of this fact. In Japan, the items were to be clearly marked that they were Made in Occupied Japan.  This persisted until 1952.

In Germany things were a little different, and as a perhaps unintentional consequence of the political racism of the day the markings weren’t quite so overt. Instead of bearing a mark like Made in Occupied Germany, they instead had a slightly toned down notation of which zone of occupation they were made in.

This 7 1/2 inch diameter luncheon plate dates to that era (1945-1949) and bears a US Zone mark in addition to the makers mark. Interestingly the US Zone mark also notes that this pattern is known as Colwyn. The plate is in excellent condition.

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May 17, 2013

Yes, You Can Cry Over Spilled Wine


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For sale at the Estate Store in Tualatin is possibly most comfy Sherrill sofa ever made. The down filled pillows swallow you up and holds you in a warm, soft embrace. You’ll begin living your life from this sofa. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Studying, reading, knitting, sleeping, work working, welding etc. However, it’s creamy white upholstery is not conducive with habitual red wine drinking. One of the best couch located pastimes. Because of this, we will throw in a complementary pink Snuggie, which can second as a drop cloth and works well for catching Goldfish Crumbs. . .

About 6 feet 8 inches long, 38 inches deep and 36 inches tall.

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May 16, 2013

Vintage Rotary Phone


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Vintage Bell System by Western Electric rotary dial telephone. Not surprisingly it still works fine.

Dialing a long distance number, or number with an area code took just as long as I remember it taking. So, while a good conversation piece (pun intended) this isn’t suited to high volume long distance calling. 5 11 005

May 16, 2013

Occupied Japan China Set


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A nice set of Occupied Japan china. It is in good condition but it is missing a few pieces. I presume this was originally a set for 8 as there are still 8 cups and saucers and 8 luncheon or salad plates.  Unfortunately the rest of the set is somewhat incomplete. There are 7 dinner plates and 6 fruit or sauce bowls. There is also a lidded sugar bowl and a cream pitcher.

This set was made during the occupation of Japan by American forces, encompassing the period from 1945 to 1952. All the pieces are in good condition and they bear a Berkshire Ware makers mark.

I’ve seen similar vessel forms before, most notably in items made by Noritake, which makes me wonder if Berkshire Ware was a house brand or an importers imprint upon pieces made by the Noritake firm. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to track down if this is, or is not the case.

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May 15, 2013

Carved Camphor Chest


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A nice storage chest with heavily carved decoration. It is in good condition and is probably a relatively contemporary piece (1980′s?) like others we’ve had.

It is in fair to good condition. There is one white colored water ‘ghost’ mark on the top and numerous small scratches. The carvings are in good condition and it still retains the lattice style interior tray.

$175

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May 15, 2013

The Penguin & The Beav.


Everyone knows you don’t mess with the penguins. Even Jake and Elwood knew this. Even Angry Beaver kept his mouth shut and his head down. There’s nothing as frightening as an irate nun wielding a yardstick and you can only hope that the tip clips the head of the person in the row next to you before it lands on your hand.

Moral: Don’t get caught cheating on Sunday school exams.

Another in our ongoing collection of wallyware it measures about 8 1/2 inches in diameter.

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