Are you a mystery fan? This week’s fresh to market vintage has an item of mystery, a carved shell that also has another purpose…but what is that purpose? Was it for snuff? For perfume? For trinkets? The entire Vintage Unscripted crew weighed in on Slack with opinions on this one. There are many other shells with silver portals, but seller opinions are quite divided on what they actually are for. How lovely it would be to go back in time and have the owner tell us how they used it.
And are you a pie fan in this, the season of the fruit pie? We’ve got you covered in the fresh to market vintage as well in the form of a pie bird. We’ve all seen them, but we’ve never used one. Have you?
Vintage “Let Me Live in a House” Cross Stitch
You may have seen the poem on this stitchery before. Written in 1897 by New Hampshire poet Sam Walter Foss, it is part of a popular poem around the turn of the century. This cross stitch is not that old, making me think it was might have had a period of renewed popularity.
Sam Walter Foss Poem Cross Stitch, $36.
-Laurie, NextStage Vintage
Antique “Parke, Davis” Cramp Bark Tin
Founded in 1866, Parke, Davis, now a subsidiary of Pfizer, was once the world’s largest pharmaceutical company. It is credited with building the first modern pharmaceutical laboratory and developing the first methods of performing clinical trials of new medications. This tin once held the bark of the flowering shrub Viburnum opulus which was used to treat cramps, inflammation of the uterus, cancer and even scurvy. There remains no scientific proof to support these uses but to a modern-day tin collector, the contents are not the point.
Antique “Parke, Davis” Store Tin, $55
-Linda, Selective Salvage
Hand Carved Perfume/Snuff/Trinket Box
This carved mussel shell with its stamped lid is a bit of a mystery. It’s similar to a Victorian vinaigrette but to my eye doesn’t quite fit the aesthetic. The carving is somewhat crude although that’s a large part of its charm. I believe it may have been created as a bit of tourist ware. The shell is delicate and beautiful. It would make a great addition to a trinket box collection.
Carved Mussel Shell Trinket Box, $45.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Stuart Bass Pie Bird Rooster
I have never used a pie bird before and only saw the blackbird ones in my travels. This one knocked me off my feet because it was more a figurine than a useful baking item. They are used to let the steam and juices out of the center of the pie. Pie baking is just like cakes, they both cook from the outside edges to the center. Now I know why my fruit pies were extra runny…they were not done enough in the center.
Stuart Bass is located in Devon, England. His pie vents or pie funnels are highly prized and collectible. They are not just birds, but almost anything his imagination can conjure up! FreakinAntiquin has a wonderful blog about collecting pie birds.
Pie Bird, $89.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
Summer is also a great time for stitching. Although the stitchery in this week’s fresh to market vintage post is already finished, there are tons of vintage stitchery kits for sale from other dealers. Stitching is as good a way to relax as reading.
Speaking of reading, if you like reading our posts, please consider subscribing to our blog. You’ll get an email once a week with links to all our posts so you never miss a vintage thing.
One of the featured items a couple of weeks ago was a liquor bottle–we love vintage printed and embossed liquor bottles. We also love old medicine bottles and tins like the cramp bark tin featured this week. You might like our post about an Osgood’s India Cholagogue bottle.
