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| A still life with a bowl of fruit. |
This weekend I visited the fair for miniatures and dollshouses in Arnhem for the third time. And it was lovely! I met several friends and nice people and made new friends. I learned a lot from their kind advise for which I am gratefull. I should now be able to avoid a few beginner mistakes. But rest assured, There wil be plenty of other mistakes to make. :-)
There were so many great miniaturists selling their beautiful work that it is needless to say that I blew my budget for this fair in No time. And without knowing it, someone saved me from overspending big time on a gorgeous miniature from Vonas by buying it right in front of my nose. Now I have time to save up for it the next time I get the chance to buy it. :-)
Since I am busy with the rough build of the first rooms in servants quarters I focussed on buying miniatures that will find a place in there.
But what did I buy? First of all here are the huge glass bottles from Kunstgewerbe Holzner. I plan to weave baskets for them and then they should find their way into the cellar.
Another lovely piece is this flute or recorder made by Gerrit van Werven on the lathe. It is made from bone and not ivory, but there are practically no veins vissible so it looks like it is made from Ivory. This will find a place in the large salon eventualy, bu it will go into the Stewards office. Perhaps the steward of sir Zonneschut played music on this flute, the sparse moments that managing his masters estate was less demanding. :-)
For the cooking kitchen I bought 6 pieces of saltglazed stoneware which in Dutch we call 'Keuls aardewerk' since it was originally imported from the city of Cologne. In the historic dollshouses from the 17th and 18th century, which can be seen in several Dutch museums, you always find some Keuls aardewerk among the potterie in the kitchens and cellars. Some of you may recognise the work of Elisabeth de Causeret. I love every piece. The small jug could contain milk or cream. The flat container could hold butter. The large jug needs a cork and could hold any liquid. The large pots con be closed off with a wooden lid or bown paper and cord. This type of pot was ofthen used to hold vegetables preserved in salt or fat. some ere used to contain oil. enough options to choose from.
The green lidded pot has not yet found a purpose. A tobacco jar for the Stewards desk? What do you think?
The last miniature I bought is for me the 'piece the resistance' is this stunning plate with fruit made by Ilona from Minimumloon! The gorgeous plate you see underneath the fruit, is a piece by Henny Staring Egberts. So with one buy I acquired miniatures of two miniaturists that I admire. The fruit Ilona made consists of plums, muscat grapes, a Quince and a yellow squash or pumpkin. The scene was inspired by a painted stilllife from the 17th century. It is a lovely ensemble and I was hooked when I saw it. The amount of detais lis staggering and my picture of it doesn't do it justice.
Well you will understand that I am verry pleased with my purchasses. Another thing that I want to show you is what I picked up at a fleamarket a few weeks ago. These two angels once adorned a clock. These are mass produced. Cast in spelter and painted to resemble gold. Their bodies ar quite elongated. If they were shorter they would fit in better with there 18th century counterparts. But they are so log because it is assumed that people look up at them when the clock would hang on the wall. I bought them because I plan to paint them to resemble sandstone. The can perhaps go on top of the facade of thehouse to adorn the balustrade or perhaps on a plinth as garden statues?
I am not sure yet but will think of something when the time comes. They play music and dance. Just the merriment and gayety you would associate with a summerreidence like Huis ter Swinnendael. These houses were built for pleasere and relaxation in hte summermonths after all.
Thats it for now. Thank you for your visit and until next time.
