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| Those who have read the adventures of Alice will know... Weird things go on behind the looking glass. better stay in front of that thing... |
Hello my friends, In this post I would like to share some of the miniatures that I have acquired from several sources. On the one hand it is great to find some great pieces that fit in my huis ter Swinnendael. On the other hand it is a stark reminder that I really need to start building. But soon there is progress to report on that account. :-)
First the looking glass
I love mirrors. And in miniature you can find lovely examples. From small and elegant to grand and ornate. This one from John Hodgson is cast in pewter. It is an elegant Georgian design. Contemporary with and similar to the Rococo mirrors on the continent. I found it on Etsy for a very reasonable price. The costs for postage from the US and customs almost doubled that so in the end could just have bought a new one from John Hodgson himself. ;-O
But I am still very happy with this mirror. It fits the Alison Davies fireplace that I marbled in the workshop of Simone van Kasbergen. A workshop she gives again prior to the Arnhem Dollshouseshow in september. I wholeheartedly can recommend it.
Lets stick with the shiny stuf.
Here you see a cast copper finial of the lid of a glass sugarbowl that had broken to pieces. The owner wanted to throw it all out when I asked If I could have the finial. She graciously gave it to me. Perhaps the fact that I did not break it helped a lot. :-) Years of cleaning rubbed off the silverplate in some places. I can have that replated someday. In style it is baroque rather than Rococo so it can pass as a Marot piece. Although it is a bit rough the shape and size are alright for 1:12. It could be a silver urn, a potpouri container or a silver teacaddy.
Not rough but delicate are the silver chocolate pot (above) and the ceremonial or dress sword (below). Both pieces are made by Jens Torp. I acquired them from the collection of Elly. Hot chocolate was still a very fashionable drink. And. Such an elegant container is just right for Lijsbeth Zonneschut when she craves for a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly winter morning. When the view on the gardens outside show little more than pale greys and frosty greens.
The Z of Zorro... I mean Zonneschut!
The dress sword or rapier by Jens Torp needs a sheath or scabbard to hold it. Thanks to Ilona from Minimumloon I now have an adress to source very fine leather. Once I have it I will make it. The steel sword with the silver handle is quite the ceremonial weapon for nobles and courtiers to wear up and into the 18th century. This fine example may be used by Carel Polyander when he was still in grace with the powers that be and Prince William V still had a court in The Hague.
A smoking gun.
Well perhaps not smoking... I bought this gun together with the mirror. I don't know who the maker is but it is nicely made. As opposed to the dress sword this single barrel is meant to be used. The park and farmlan of the Swinnendael estate is also used for the hunt. I plan to put a gun cupboard in the Rentmeesterskamer (Stewards room) and this is the first occupant. If I can find the correct hollow steel tube I want to try to make more rifles.
The hunter or the hunted?
And speaking of a hunt. The game and birds on the estate are not just there for show. So these pheasants and mallard are the result of the latest hunt. I bought these (Together with the Escutceon desk) also from Elly's collection. The birds have real eathers ont them. They will either go into the kitchen or the larder. Haven't decided on that yet. The scene in Huis Ter Swinnendael will be set in early summer. So having pheasants hung from the ceiling is not very logical but there it is. I still like them a lot.
Well thats it for now. No Wonderland behind the looking glass but som lovely miniatures in front of it. A little mini wonderland in the making. ;-0
I hope that you like this post and my new treasures. I wish you all good luck with your own projects!
Till next time.
Huibrecht
Collecting the things to go inside our dream is almost as much fun as seeing the dream come to life! You've got some wonderful pieces here, and soon enough the compulsion to see them in your house will become the motivation you need to build. I am excited for you!
ReplyDeleteHello Jodi,
DeleteCollecting is indeed great fun! Finding what you have been looking for for quite some time is very rewarding. Finding that which you didn't know you were looking for is thrilling. As you must know because you have a stunning collection! :-)
The motivation is already here, problem now is RL events. But soon I'll have time and opportunity.
Huibrecht
Goodness Mr H, this mirror makes my ones look huge ! Lovely ! Yes thigns from the US are scary to buy postage wise! I love all your things, this is such fun to collect before the build, it helps imagine the rooms and is great therapy in itself. I have some fine leather if you would like, I can put it in an envelope in a minute. Keep collecting !!! huggsss
ReplyDeleteNot really, this design is very sleek. By the way, if your mirror is 19th rather than 18th century, it all fits the bill anyway. Rococo-revival pieces are always heavier than the 18th century ones. And Italian Rococo is heavier than french or english. So do not worry. :-)
DeleteThat is a very kind gesture, thank you Mrs. M. If you are sure that you will or can not use it yourself I'd be more than happy to use it for the scabbard. I will send you an e-mail with my adress. thank you.
DeleteHuibrecht
I have a stock of everything and some brown fine leather. I can put some in the post and see if you find it suitable. It is possible to skim down leather even more by sanding ( mask) until you get the thinness you want. huggss
DeleteHallo Huibrecht! Wat een geweldige nieuwe aanwinsten heb je erbij, prachtig en verfijnd. Ben benieuwd hoe de schede voor het degen eruit zal zien. Het zal best klein/fijn werk worden om te doen, als ik dat tenminste zo van 'n foto kan inschatten ;).
ReplyDeleteGoed idee om meer geweren proberen te maken, de rentmeester zal je er echt dankbaar voor zijn ;). Heel fijne messing buis kun je ook in goed geoutilleerde modelbouwwinkels vinden, of misschien in een webshop voor modelbouw...?
Gefeliciteerd met al jouw nieuwe aanwinsten, ook je keuzes uit Elly's miniaturen, geniet ervan.
Fijn weekend gewenst. Groetjes, Ilona
Hallo Ilona, een fijn werkje wordt het zeker. De kling is nog geen 3 millimeter breed op het breedste stuk. Daarom moet ik het fijnste leer zien te pakken te krijgen dat ik kan. Naast de schede moeten er ook een riem komen om hem vast te kunnen gespen. En een kwast aan de greep van het gevest. Een hele uitdaging dus, maar ik heb er zin in! :-)
DeleteThese miniature pieces are authentic art jewelry, the decorations of the mirrors, do not leave anyone indifferent, the shotgun, an extreme perfection, everything a beauty, congratulations for the good taste in making these beautiful pieces.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words. I am proud to have them. My own work must become as good as these pieces. I still have a lot to learn before I achieve such standards.
DeleteMr H, I was thinking for the tube ,, a large syringe for animals has a fien steel tube ,,, maybe the scale would be good if you know any vets !!! or the innards of a pen refill ,,, ,,, huggsss
ReplyDeleteA large syringe could work. I'll ask a few friends who ae surgeons. Thank you for the tip! The penn refills I have are either to thick or too short. But I'll keep looking.
DeleteHuibrecht
Unas piezas fantásticas , dignas de un gran coleccionista ,Buen fin de semana:-)
ReplyDelete
DeleteMuchas gracias Rosa. Me encanta coleccionar. No dejaré de recoger miniaturas pronto. :-)
Huibrecht
Wat een mooie spiegel en mooie items voor de rentmeesterkamer de buis voor het geweer kan je ook bij een modelbouw winkel kopen was er gisteren bij een hier in de buurt (de houtloods) en ja daar zag ik de ienie mienie buizen liggen...
ReplyDeleteVeel succes!
groetjes van Marijke
Hallo Marijke, Dank je wel, blij dat je ze mooi vindt. En bedankt voor de tip. Ik zal eens op hun site kijken en anders bij hobbywinkels in de buurt. Misschien voor treinbouw!
DeleteHuibrecht
¡Son unas piezas preciosas!La chimenea queda muy bien con el espejo.
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias Isabel. Y sí, el espejo y la chimenea están destinados a entrar en el pequeño salón como pareja.
DeleteHuibrecht
It is lovely to see "guy stuff" so beautifully represented in miniature!
ReplyDeleteLove the rapier and the hunting rifle as well as the game, which brings to mind a particular conversation in Pride and Prejudice :
"When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley," said her mother, "I beg you will come here, and shoot as many as you please on Mr. Bennet's manor. I am sure he will be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all the best of the covies for you." :D
Thank you Elisabeth for the compliment. :-)
DeleteMy mini house should have it's fair share of "guy stuff" I hope to keep up the same level of representation.
I love the work of Jane Austen. Mrs. Bennet and mr. Bennet are my favorite characters. My favorite Mr Bennet Quote is:'I have not the pleasure of understanding you.' If i am not mistaken he says that in reply to one of his wife's stratagems concerning their daughters. :-)
Huibrecht
Bonjour Huibrecht, même si je n'aime pas la chasse j'adore tous les petits trésors que vous avez trouvés, particulièrement l'épée et le pot pour chocolat.
ReplyDeleteMerci Jean-Claude, L'epée et le pot pour chocolat sont deux de mes favorites.
DeleteHuibrecht.
Hello Huibrecht,
ReplyDeletethanks for finding my blog - because this made me find yours. I've had a quick look on some of your older posts and I must say this Swinnendael project of yours is stunning and I'm going to follow it with pleasure now.
You've made some stunning purchases… and some lucky finds. But best of all: Inspiring finds. It will be fun to see them one day again when they've found their places.
Greetings from Germany
Birgit
Hello Birgit, Thank you for finding my blog :-) I hope that you will find inspiration here. I really like your blogs as well. the adventures of your little bears are great fun to follow.
DeleteHuibrecht.
Hallo Huibrecht, leuk om Elly's miniaturen zo terug te zien, in een andere setting. Je nieuwe spiegel is erg mooi, ik heb daar ook mee in mijn handen gestaan vorig jaar, maar ja er moeten keuzes gemaakt worden he. Ja je moet snel gaan bouwen ;-)
ReplyDeleteIk heb nog een leuke tip voor je (of misschien ken je hem al...)op Instagram volg ik een man uit Gouda die een grachtenpand aan het restaureren en inrichten is. Hij heeft geweldige verhalen en heel interessante achtergrondinformatie over allerlei onderwerpen die met architectuur en kunst te maken hebben. Wel iets later dan de periode waar jij in bezig bent meestal, maar toch interessant denk ik: Mark Broch @markbroch
Hoi Josje, ja zijn spiegels en lijsten zijn prachtig. Maar al het moois bij elkaar is onbetaalbaar. Dat heeft ook een voordeel, het dwingt ons om zelf creatief te zijn en te proberen om mooie en steeds betere miniaturen te maken.
DeleteIk kende Mark Broch niet maar dank je wel voor de tip. die foto's zijn bijzonder inspirerend. prachtige interieurs!
Huibrecht