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i love to carefully walk around peering at all the fine china & lamps & dolls wondering the lives they had before. i never buy anything but. i love the way the floors creak
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so⊠many⊠trinketsâŠ
Feb 19, 2024
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Maybe not in the greatest condition, itâs got some scuffs, some chips and scratches; it could use a refinishing to polish it to its full glory but its bones are good, it was crafted with love and care, and few other tables are quite like it. Somebody picks it up out of curiosity because itâs freeâhey, why notâand doesnât take up too much space. They take care of it the best they can but grow tired of always having to use a coaster. They cover it with a cloth and it gathers dust and cobwebs sitting in a corner. They would have been happy with a table from IKEA; they didnât want this table at allâthey just needed a table. The table yearns to be the centerpiece to a room. Somewhere, a collector is searching far and wide for a table just like this one.
Feb 18, 2025
Lately I've been spending too much time scouring every corner of eBay I can for the cheapest and most delightful soviet era porcelain figurines available
I didn't even realize it until diving head first into this rabbit hole, but I have had soviet era porcelain figurines my whole life (a bunny and a bull for those curious), so I guess I was always destined to develop a fondness for the form, and eventually dig a little deeper into it.
There is something so incredibly charming and also incredibly interesting about these porcelain pieces! These little guys!
There's a lot of history to dig into that I've barely scratched the surface of AT ALL, but I'm fascinated by how porcelain reflected the common sentiments* of the times, the economic conditions, the artistic movements and ideas of the day, and also the ability (or lack thereof) of people to stay in one place and hold onto something so "useless" and easily broken.
I have very, very few things from any of my ancestors. Figurines like these make me think about the way history and art are passed down to us, forgotten, broken, left behind, sold in thrift stores and online, if they survive at all.
Figurine collections are kind of a barometer of safety and stability, or at least how dedicated to the illusion of it you might be.
They also make me think about how useful "useless" things can be. How even art that is purely decorative can be thought-provoking (by for example valorizing "folks"), or just make you happy (via being very cute! Or expert use of color and form!).
Grannies collect this shit for many good reasons and I'm starting to catch on.
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* Notably the $$$ collectors type ones are the ethnographic figurines, something I NEED to read an academic paper about.
Especially, because Ive noticed some of these figurines depicting "ethnic types" are inaccurate copies of earlier prints, which themselves should be placed under immense scrutiny! This is all extra interesting in the context of the porcelain industry transitioning from imperial rule to the soviet era. The ways of talking about ethnicity changed, (in addition obviously to y'know, everything!) but the products produced largely remained the same. Lots to think about!!!
Jan 31, 2025
Top Recs from @pinecone
Craned my head 90 degrees to see the squirrels all the way at the top just to feel like a bug
Dec 21, 2024
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Dec 22, 2024
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A classic That simply canât get better. i sat outside a chocolate shop on a chilly day w my brother. ordered some cheesecake & chocolate mousse. i sipped my tea & the host showed us the blankets they have for guests sitting in the cold. âEuropean styleâ she said. U guys i am itching to somehow top this tea experience but itâll be hard â€ïž
Jan 14, 2025