It stinks when a good premise for a blog post lede gets swatted down by science. We were going to say that this week’s fresh to market vintage was dirty, dirty, dirty because there are three picks made of clay and clay is dirt. Except it isn’t. Dirt is a general term for loose soil or earth, which may contain a mixture of sand, silt, clay, organic matter, and small rocks. Clay is is a natural material composed mostly of fine-grained minerals, formed through weathering and erosion of rocks containing feldspar and other silicate minerals.
The color of clay ranges from white to gray to brown to red depending on the mineral content. The three picks made of clay–the tealight holder, Japanese clay doll and the Cypress Gardens plates–are all made from different types of clay, chosen for it’s suitability for the project. Being a ceramicist requires years of knowledge to understand what kind of clay to use for your work. Thank heavens us vintage sellers mostly need only to be able to identify that something is made of clay to write a proper descriptions, not understand clay. Which explains why we made a scientifically incorrect assumption.
If clay isn’t your thing, there’s one other fresh to market pick, a license plate topper. Did you read our post on collectible automobilia?
Studio Pottery Tea Light Holder
I have a soft spot for art pottery, especially smaller pieces that I can display easily. This tea light holder is a perfect example. I can picture it sitting on a tiny patio table perched on the balcony of high rise apartment at the end of a spring evening, the sun going down and a gorgeous sunset in view, with a glass of wine by its side and a good book. If that doesn’t calm your soul what will? This tiny beauty is signed on the bottom, but illegible.
Art Pottery Tea Light Holder, $28.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Vintage License Plate Topper
Sometimes it takes a village. I acquired this beauty of a license plate topper from a moving sale, and knew I had a great piece of automobilia. I contacted a friend who lived in Oxford, MA and asked if she knew anyone who remembered this car dealership. She is in a neighbors group on Facebook, posted asking if anyone remembered Jackson Ford Sales, and within minutes I had an answer and a 1963 advertisement image from that amazing group! She said they were excited to help and began to post to their group about it. I got what I needed, and I guess they got a great discussion about the car dealership and more. This is what I love most about local history.
Mass Ford Dealership Promotional Item, $125
-Mary Ellen, Aunt Hatties Attic
Japanese Hakata Urasaki Clay Doll c 1950s
Yes, I am a lover of Americana but I also appreciate creativity from elsewhere in the world. “Hakata dolls” are unglazed clay figurines that originated in Hakata City in Japan in the 1600s and continue to be made today. The clay is carved and sculpted to make an original, beautiful doll. The dolls are removed, dried, fired unglazed, and then painted for final finishing. Since a single artisan carries out the whole process from carving and sculpting to finishing, each doll reflects the unique creativity of its maker.
Japanese Elder Hakata Urasaki Doll, $95
-Linda, Selective Salvage
1970s Cypress Gardens Souvenir Plate
Cypress Gardens has been through some stuff since it was built in 1936. Water skiing shows were added during WWII. It became a SeaWorld park in the 1980s and is now Legoland Florida. But the heart of Cypress Gardens, the botanical garden, still beats after all those years.
Vintage 1970s Cypress Gardens, Florida Souvenir Plate, $21.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
And that, friends, is this week’s fresh to market vintage. It wasn’t dirty like we thought it might be, but not everything happens the way you want it to in the blogosphere.
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