November | 2012 | The New Collector
It is officially the holiday season! It’s a happy time of year but along with the parties, decorating, and general merriment you also have to sit down and think about gift choices. We all want to give those closest to us something that they will remember and appreciate long after the big day. What to get that is special, personal, and meaningful? Think outside the mall and think antiques!
Antiques are unique and they make a big impression. They offer you a wide range of gifts that can really connect to a person’s interests, history and lifestyle. I’ve been clicking around Collectivator, and I’ve come up with some ideas based on items for sale right now. I’ve tried to match the antiques with interests, but I am not implying rigid rules. My aim is not to say “only a crafter would like a hooked rug” but to show how different interests can be cultivated and complimented by antiques. If you wish to learn more, each photograph is linked to that item’s listing on Collectivator.
Ideas for Buying Antique Gifts:
The Outdoorsman or Woman – Try incorporating function and history with an item like an antique decoy. Decoys may have been used by hunters but they also have artistic merit. Other good gifts would be antique snowshoes (nice displayed on a wall), landscape artwork, or any twig furniture. Anglers will find a wealth of items as well including beautiful antique wicker creels, reels, and even lures. Don’t forget that there is a lot of folk art, fine art and advertising that is also dedicated to nature and sportsmanship. All these items bring a bit of the outdoors inside in a unique and unexpected way.
Crafters might likewise enjoy an antique that reflects the history of their interests. In the past, activities like sewing and quilting gave people an outlet for their creative expression. Their work was necessary but it was also a source of pride and joy. Antique textiles come in a variety of prices and pedigrees, but all share a history that modern day crafters would appreciate. Good gifts include hooked rugs (lovely either used on the floor or hung on a wall as a piece of art), quilts, linens and needlework samplers. I also found a great folk art sewing plaque that served to hold thread and other sewing supplies. It would look fantastic on the wall of a craft room.
Entertainers – No, I don’t mean they put on shows (although that would be fun), I mean people who host gatherings with friends and family at their homes. For a person in this category, anything that is decorative but also useful would be appropriate. Decanter and glass sets are gorgeous sitting on display or filled with fine drinks. Dining accessories like antique table cloths, dishes, candle sticks and silver serving ware compliment any great meal. Even not so useful items like hand made wooden butter molds would look good in a chef’s kitchen and serve as a conversation piece about culinary history. Who knows? You might introduce your favourite party host to a new collection!
Anyone – There are some antiques you can give to pretty much anyone. Clocks and mirrors are good, because they are always needed and can compliment so many styles of decor. Small furniture like wall boxes, side tables, plant stands and decorative shelves can easily find a welcoming home. Artwork can be tricky (especially large pieces) but work that ties into some aspect of the person’s interests or background can be exceptional. Personally, I would love to receive a good piece of Canadian folk art on any occasion!
So those are just a few ideas to help in your gift search this year. Remember that when you get tired of the mall, you can find fantastic antiques online. Shop in the comfort of your own home and support small business! If you want to read even more of my ramblings about why antiques are great, you can check out “Antiques are Good Value for Money” and “Antiques are Green“. Around this time last year I also wrote about using Antiques as Holiday Decorations. If you have given or received any antiques that really made an impression please share in the comments. Good gift ideas are always appreciated 🙂
Happy shopping and enjoy the holiday season!
I wrote about vintage McCoy pottery before, specifically my lovely green planters. Today I would like to introduce the largest piece in my collection. Take a gander at my pink Jardiniere and metal pedestal from the “Spring Wood” line:
Isn’t she a beaut? Skinny legs and all. Jardinieres are large decorative planters (the word comes from the French jardiniére which is the feminine form of “gardener”). McCoy made different jardinieres over the years and many came on pottery or metal stands. Finding a jardiniere with matching pedestal is quite the feat for collectors, so I’m lucky to have found one with both “jard and ped”.
The “Spring Wood” design was first produced in 1961. It was made in pink, white and mint green with hand painted dogwood flower motif and a satin glaze. The design proved popular and was also used on smaller planters and vases. I love this set’s vintage look. The legs in particular, with their slightly “space age” satellite configuration, are classic mid-century modern.
My Jardiniere is in great condition with only one small mark. There is a slight indentation from when the pottery was made on the upper right corner of the design. It’s a minor flaw and otherwise the pot is without cracks, chips or crazing. The pot measures around 9″ wide and 7″ tall. She’s a good solid planter used every day to house my money tree.
Amazingly, the money tree is still alive!
I bought this set in an antique store in Quebec City about 10 years ago. When I bought it my boyfriend and I didn’t have a lot of extra money, so I know I would not have paid a huge amount (maybe $80?) I can’t remember, but I know the price was on the line between “that’s a lot of money for something I don’t need” and “if I don’t get this now I will always regret it”. I think every collector faces this dilemma from time to time! To sweeten my deal, the price also included a smaller rectangular planter from the same line. How could I resist?
The matching planter
My jardiniere and stand has given me 10 years of stylish keeping-plants-off-the-floor service, and it will always be a favourite piece in my vintage McCoy pottery collection 🙂
Thinking of collecting McCoy? Check out the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society for great info including production dates and photographs of popular lines.
Last weekend I had the pleasure to attend the book launch of Canadian Folk Art to 1950 and accompanying folk art exhibit at the Ingram Gallery in downtown Toronto. The gallery was a lovely space (they also exhibit an impressive selection of contemporary Canadian art) and the staff were very welcoming. It was a great chance to catch up a bit with Collectivator sellers, old family friends, and folk art enthusiasts alike. There was a small but inspiring selection of high quality Canadian folk art on exhibit and for sale, including substantial works from Ewald Rentz, Joe Norris, Leo Fournier and Gilbert Desrochers. Some of the pieces were sold by the time we left (and we only stayed an hour!) but the show will continue until the end of December 2012. If you are a collector in Toronto you will want to check it out.
The small gallery space was packed to the gills with people, so it was hard to take photographs, but here are some impressions of the event:
Two large figures by Ewald Rentz
Painting by Joe Norris and Woman with Child by Ewald Rentz
Phillip Ross & gallery owner John Ingram
While the folk art was great to see, it was also a fitting backdrop for a launch of the book Canadian Folk Art to 1950. It was a pleasure to meet the authors John Fleming and Michael Rowan, as well as photographer James Chambers. I haven’t had a chance to read the book cover to cover yet, but I am impressed by the scope of work featured. Everything from purely decorative folk art like paintings and carvings are covered, as well as utilitarian pieces like hooked rugs, plant stands, trade signs and pharmacies. There are just under 500 large beautifully photographed images with careful examination of each piece. The book is organized into seventeen sections that focus on a particular type of folk art and its importance to the folk art tradition, as well as the cultural history of Canada.
Author Michael Rowan, Photographer James Chambers, and Author John Fleming (photograph courtesy of Ingram Gallery)
When I spoke to photographer James Chambers he said it took over five years to put the book together and I can believe it. From what I have read so far, I think this is a book many Canadian history and folk art enthusiasts would enjoy. It also serves as a useful introduction to folk art for those just starting to appreciate this wonderful artistic tradition.
“Canadian Folk Art to 1950” book cover
There is more information about Canadian Folk art to 1950 in this PDF (canadian_folk_art), as well as on the Ingram Gallery website. You can buy the book from the Ingram Gallery, through the publishers at the University of Alberta press, or in bookstores. The holidays are coming and this would make a great gift for the folk art fan on your list! It is truly a major contribution to the Canadian folk art legacy. I know I am very happy to have a copy and will enjoy it for years to come.