We’ve discussed this topic before on the lede in to fresh to market vintage, but we’ve got to bring it up again because this week’s post screams symmetry, or at least 3/4 of it does. So we need to discuss symmetry and it’s arch nemesis asymmetry.
Compare these two fireplace mantels.
Which one are you? The relaxing harmonic organization of the symmetrical mantel on the left? Or the dynamic unique balance of the asymmetrical mantel on the right?
If you are in camp symmetry, it can be hard to collect your twos purely through flea marketing and thrifting because it is less common to find decorative items in pairs. Pairs of shoes tend to stick together over the decades, but pairs of vases, not so much. Prices for pairs can also be higher because they are rarer and more expensive to ship.
One simple way to achieve it is to shop for things that were more commonly available back in the day. Things like Imperial glass compotes and McCoy planters that you might stumble across with some regularity. We have amassed quite a collection of teardrop glass ashtrays and milk glass florist bud vases over the past 10 years because we always have our eyes open for them.
This week in our fresh to market vintage, we are with you symmetry lovers. We have perfect pairs for you to enjoy, with one outlier. But if you hurry past it, you won’t even notice.
Pair of IOOF Rebekah Staff Toppers c 1920s
The “Daughters of Rebekah” is an international service organization founded in 1851 as the female auxiliary to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Originally begun as an honorary group limited to white women who were married to Odd Fellows, the Rebekahs were granted the right to organize, elect officers and perform charitable deeds of their choosing as the “Degree of Rebekah” in 1874. The number of members, which peaked at over a million in 1923, has declined but the International Association of Rebekah Assemblies is still an active organization focused on community and philanthropic causes. Older versions of their distinctive ceremonial symbols like this pair of lily staff toppers are considered desirable by collectors of lodge memorabilia.
Rebekah Lily Shaped Ceremonial Pieces, $250
-Linda, Selective Salvage
Oil Slick Cluster Earrings
These fun earrings remind me of watching fireworks on July Fourth. The bright colors and explosion of beads are just so much fun. I think they would be perfect worn to a party. To me, they scream happiness, excitement, and celebration. I love the multitude of colors reflected by the light. Not for everyday wear, but just right when you want to have a bit of merriment.
Teardrop Oil Slick Cluster Earrings, $16.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Hummel Boy and Girl Sitting on Fences
These Hummels came from a living estate sale. The owner was downsizing her collection for future smaller living quarters. These two are only 4 inches high and might make a nice bit of scaled down decor for someone who has limited shelf space. They look very nice together, but were not necessarily meant to be a pair. I personally like to put items together that can possibly tell a story. Spring has finally arrived and a bird perched on the boy’s fence post is singing for the joy of it. The girl has a cloth-covered basket near her feet. Perhaps it holds a bit of bread and cheese and will be the lunch for the two. They each have interesting marks of authenticity that seem to match earlier Hummels in the 1950s. Megan Cooper has a post on these marks here.
Hummels, $58.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
Romantic Figurines Porcelain Lamp
In this week’s fresh to market vintage, two’s company but three’s a crowd…or is it. This vintage lamp has some first rate porcelain figures, a delicate filigree base and, best of all, new wiring. What are they looking at on the table? Personally, I think tarot cards since one is holding a book they might be using to interpret them. But they could also be looking at butterfly specimens, baseball cards, a secret plan for storming the Bastille or a guest list for the upcoming costume ball.
This is one of those pieces that comes with an apocryphal story, the owner is quite sure it is a Meissen figurine. It is nice quality, but there are no markings. The markings, however, would be on the base. So is it a lamp that got made from a Meissen figurine or is it just a nice lamp? Doesn’t really matter for decor purposes, does it?
Vintage Figurine Lamp with New Wiring, $90.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
That’s this week’s two by two plus three fresh to market vintage. “Oil slick” is a new evocative description for us, but it absolutely nails the finish on those cluster earrings, does it not? We can’t wait for a situation where we can casually drop it in conversation so we look smarter than we actually are.
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