One stool, two stools. Three is a bench?

Hello my dear friends.

Stools and benches were and are common items of furniture. From the simple wooden constructions in a humble abode to elaborate carved and decorated pieces in a palace. When chairs were still a luxury, stools and benches were here, there and everywhere.

Naturally a house like Huis ter Swinnendael will have several of them. Today I want to show a few that I made for the servants quarters. Simple and sturdy structures made of 4 mm thick beach paint stirrers. First I made a few templates out of cardboard. This should help to make good matching pairs. I made my first template for the leather coverings of the stretcher chairs and it is rapidly becoming a favorite method for serial work.

the sketch and the template

I sanded the stirrers down so that the lettering and staining of previous jobs is hardly visible. I cut the stirrers in pieces of the apropriate length with my new mini-sawtable. A very generous gift from my partner. And it works better than me trying to saw by hand!

My newest toy. :-)

Then I put the cut out templates on top and traced the outlines on the wood. Next step was cutting them out with a fretsaw and glueing the pieces together. This is always easier said than done. Contrary to the chairs I do not aim to make sets of matching stools.  Therefore I made one set of two similar stools and a different one. All of them are (loosely) based on original (miniature) examples that can still be found today. I will make a few more, including three legged examples and a few luxurious ones for in the state rooms upstairs. But that's for another post. I gave both types a different height to the legs and a different length to the seat. I hope it will add more realism to them. After all, there were no standardised measurements for furniture in those days. 

first the set of two...

The set of stools and the single stool will have legs that go straight down from the seat. After filing both ends of the legs It was time to stick it all together.

Then the single one.

In the 16th and 17th century furniture was generally unpainted in the Netherlands. Painted furniture really got into vogue in the 18th century. These stools will all be painted in the end because the original lettering is still visible through the stain. They are only visible on the inside pieces so with an appropriate colour the lettering will disappear from sight once painted. But since I have not yet decided on a final colour scheme for the kitchens I have only stained them for now.  

And the result. sturdy and functional.

Because these stools are not items of luxury but are used daily, there is quite some wear and tear on them.So after the the first coat of woodstain I used several files and a knife to mark the stool, trying to avoid regularity. And lastly I added the finer wear and tear  through sanding with some sandpaper and steelwool. And there we have it. Three well worn stools.

That's it for now.  I hope you have enjoyed reading this post. And till next post.

Huibrecht

Treasures from the Arnhem show, March 2020.

Last saturday I undertook my bi-annual pilgrimage to Arnhem for the spring edition of the dollshouseshow there. Apart from nobody shaking each others hand you hardly noticed a thing of that nasty Covid-19. Some sellers had to cancel because of it of course, but it did not effect the mood and I enjoyed myself nonetheless.

At every succeeding show I spend more time catching up with miniaturists (sellers and buyers) that I have made my acquantance with over the past few years. It is great fun to see and speak to eachother again. So much stories to cath up on. But fortunately I managed to get some real gems that I want to share with you.

First of all I got these two wonderful miniatures. The bellows are painted by Wagon Mountain Studio. She specialises in Dutch folk painting. Especially the styles popular around Hindelooper and Assendelft. I asked her to decorate this piece in the so called 'shadow work'. This style of decoration consists of motifs like scrolls and flowers in black and cream on a dark green base. The black and cream give the illusion of 3 dimensional decorations.

Next to it stands a delicate Delftware tulip vase with 11 nozzles. It is a miniature copy of an antique original. It is made by Henny Staring Egberts.  It is a heartshape carried by two ducks. I will fill this vase with some of the tullips from Ilona Kraasenberg which I bought last year.

You may have noticed by now that I like birds. Also miniature birds. And so these two caught my eye. The pink Cockatoo is made by Montheron. I love her work. The robin spreading its wings (sorry for not having a better photo) is made by Sandra van Bennekom of Lovingastory. She makes different types of birds using real feathers. Apart from realistic songbirds and owls she also had a few lovely Fenixes modelled on the old Fenix from Harry Potter. I think I'll buy a companion for this robin the next time I see her.

Next up are these three items. A jar and two chalices mady by Herman Straeten. The one in the middle is made out of a hollowed out palmfruit and ebony wood. The other two are turned from amber. The lids can be taken of. They are hollowed out and are quite opaque. They surely look good around my mounted nautilus. :-)

The three painted speculaasplanken or cookie moulds are not new. The one with the man on a horse is the one I bought this weekend. Made by Arjen Spinhoven this is the fourth mould in my little  collection. I will have to stain it first though.

More woodturning! This time made by Jokra. 2 walking sticks and a wig or hat stand. The black wood is ebony and the striped Brown wood is made of snakewood (also called letterwood) this last one has a tip and a knob made from silver.

As you may know, I love silver. And Marie-Louis Markhorst of Smallscale made these lovely mounted shells. She also makes great items for the kitchen in copper and or brass. Some of those are a must in the kitchens of Huis ter Swinnendael. But since my budget was rapidly coming to an end, I had to leave those for a future moment.

 

And last but not least, this recorder made of Rose Ivory. I did not know it existed until last weekend, but Rose Ivory is not pink coloured elephant tusk, but a type of hardwood. The beauty of this recorder is that if my fingers were small enough I could actualy play on it. It is made out of two pieces, hollowed out and with the holes in the right place. After the flute I bought from Gerrit van Werven last year, this is my second musical instrument. It is also made by Herman Straeten.

And that is it, my friends. The loot from my trip to Arnhem. I hope you have enjoyed this little post. I will spend the rest of the evening making my miniature administration in order. :-)

Huibrecht

An (un)expected gift

Hello my friends,

I love a surprise as much as anyone. A little time ago Mrs M. (Stephanie) whom you may know from her blog Madness, promissed to send me a few pieces of thin leather. Leather that I could use for upholstery, book covers, sword sheaths and such. Apart from furniture and travelcases, I will have an entire library to fill with leatherbound books. Every piece is therefore welcome and apreciated. 

When her parcel arrived this weekend I was surprised by the size of it. She had sent me an email telling that she had added a few extra things, without giving spoilers, away, but I still dit not expect a box of that size.

She had included two lovely miniatures that she has made herself. A decorated card board box containing a book or diary. and a marbled teacaddy with two cannisters. Both with lovely decorations! And then there were a few more pieces. Two ceramic birds, who are 'feves'. Feves are trinkets hidden in a king cake. The lucky finder may end up with a broken tooth, but at least he or she will be kong/queen for a day. :-) Porcelain figurines of birds were popular in the eighteenth century so I am happy with those. Perhaps I will paint them to give them a more pastel look.

https://www.apollo-magazine.com/interview-with-ivan-day-food-historian/

The white structure in the front of the group is a resin miniature copy of the mormon temple of saltlake city. Now I am not a mormon so what to do with this? It did not take me long to find a nice use for it.  In the diningroom of Huis ter Swinnendael preperations are made for a festive banquet. So there or in the kitchen this temple will become part of the centerpiece. A castle made of sugarpaste. Placed on a base, with some (fimo) whipped cream around it and gold leaf decorated spires it will become a very ornate table decoration. From the renaissance until the second half of the 19th century these decorations were a must have for every banquet worthy of the name. :-)

But wait there was more. It contained several pieces of brown leather that will come in very handy with a lot of the projects I have planned. On top of the leather lies a few yards of broderie Anglaise which may certainly come in handy for decorative trim and such.

Then there were several resin ornaments. The frames are excuisite! They will certainly find a place in Huis ter Swinnedael.  I also love the winged Lions and the medallions. Lets see what I can use in Huis ter Swinnendael.The gold colloured rings probably come from buttons. I think they will make great frames for silhouettes. The crown is lovely. I have a few ideas for that one.

Last but not least, Mrs. M. put some pieces of furniture in the box. 2 kits from The house of miniatures, a candlestand and a sideboard, and a little bureau. For handling delicate miniatures she included some white gloves. And lastly a little notebook. I use several for my project and this one will come in handy too! I love the cardboard cover made from recycled material.

In short, I have been spoiled rotten. Thank you very much Mrs. M! Many items will surely find their way in Huis ter Swinnendael. Those that may not, will find a new home!

Well thats it for now. This weekend is the DHN fair in Arnhem. Despite the fears for the Covid 19 virus I will be going to Arnhem. There are a few infections now in the Netherlands, with most new cases from the immediate circle of the first victims. The governement has decided not to forbid public event because the medical authorities find that the risk of infection is still very low. So I see no reason not to go.

I hope to see some of you there. 

Huibrecht