Off the Cuff!

Hey y'all -- went haunting today at a new spot and picked up these glorious little cufflinks.

Let me tell you about this haunt: I had heard about it and driven by a few times, but I only get up to this part of Chicagoland on Sundays, and they're only open on the first Sunday of each month -- today! So, I was pretty happy to stumble upon it and find out that there was a huge vintage jewelry trunk sale today only to boot. They had the jewelry in a separate room. As I tried to just step inside, the young man at the door said "No ma'am -- you have to get a number and check your coat and purse" -- fine, fine. It just seemed that every which way I turned a got a "No, ma'am" or you-can't-do-that kind of thing -- what do you mean, shop in your store?

Anyway, I got over it after telling the shopgirl that "No, no, no" was not something a first-time customer wants to hear... on to the fun:

There was all kinds of jewelry, but all très expensive -- especially for a haunter -- it was retail, after all. I buggied a few items in my little white tray, but in the end put it all back and just got these beauties. I don't wear a lot of jewelry -- usually just pearls and pearl studs or little fat gold hoops, but these will flash up a plain shirt quick. The ladies at the DAR won't know what hit 'em!

More from the haunts all week! Stay tuned!

Haunting :: Ms Wearstler Eat Your Heart Out

This ceramic number is from my recent visit to the haunts with Kitty. It's about eight or ten inches square, and about two and a half inches tall (elevation view) with highly reflective silver and gold glazes. This is the kind of thing that when it catches my eye, I immediately buggy it to inspect and assess. I walk around with it to "live" with it. When I saw this piece, I grabbed it and carried it around with me. Its only marking is a label with the words "Jaru" on it. The circle with radiating dots in the center is raised inside a sunken area, so the gold surface is at the same elevation as the silver surface.



The label is just like the one on this objet from Modern Cactus:



I'd never heard of Jaru, but after a couple of tries researching the name, I have finally found a confirmation of what it is -- what "family" it belongs to, so to speak. Finding that Modern Cactus image was the clencher, because though I'd seen things like this, nothing really matched up -- though those have similar glazes, which was encouraging.

This objet is the type that seems a little weird at first, but I had such a visceral response to it -- it feels good. In the shop I said to Kitty, "Kelly Wearstler would kill for this!"

Ever find something you thought was iffy but turned out to be a showstopper?

Haunting Brings Unexpected Things

Like these guys, for instance. At an immaculately styled shop in Chicago, a group of these figurines stood on a small silver tray -- a little army of duos. Some wore sky blue tunics, some sage green. This pair was the only one with terra cotta and gold stripes.

When I picked them up for closer inspection, I noticed the sticker said "Chang and Eng". I knew those names! From North Carolina!

A bit of background: Born in Siam (now Thailand) in 1811, Chang and Eng Bunker were connected at the chest. As teenagers, the twins traveled the world giving lectures and demonstrations. According to their travelogues, they visited the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1834. Chang and Eng were such international celebrities, the term "Siamese Twins" became the common name to describe conjoined twins.



After traveling the world, they came back to North Carolina and married two sisters, Adelaide and Sarah Yates of Wilkes County. The two families eventually produced 21 children!



Back to the haunt: When I asked the shopkeeper about the little Chang and Eng figurines, he said that John Derian (of decoupage fame) had found a lot of about a hundred of them in England, and that they had been made when the twins were worldwide celebrities. Mr Derian brought them back to the U.S., and this group of figurines ended up at my haunt. I think you could have knocked that shopkeeper over with a feather when he heard the North Carolina story... just seems out of left field.

I poured over the little rugged porcelain army, studying their painted faces and contemplating the colors of their robes until I settled on the best pair. Now they live on my desk, reminding me about the Old North State and all its variety, and how these two men made such rich lives.

Watercolor image and history source: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University Libraries

Score! :: This Weekend at the Haunts

What a great weekend at the haunts. I visited my "first on the list" place (it's very convenient), and -- nothing. Not. A. Thing. That almost never happens.

But I was feeling lucky. So I pressed on. Next up? A place I visit every month or so. It's pretty good. But Saturday was very good. Check it out!





These little china cups are so, so delicate. And they will be great with my new pair of white elephant teapots.* They have a Belleek feel, but no markings. They're fun little things.

I also scored a 1960 Emily Post etiquette book. I love a good etiquette book. They are so definitive. I have an Amy Vanderbilt edition of the same era, but my absolute fave is my Mrs Oliver Harriman tome from the 1940s. This lady was serious about etiquette. She had a very old-school perspective that I think sounds more 1920s than 1940s. My grandmother was quite the It Girl of Raleigh in the twenties, and the tone of the book reminds me of the tidbits about her wedding festivities in the society pages of old editions of The Raleigh Times.

I like comparing etiquette advice from book to book. And with a sprinkle of Martha Stewart (particularly her Weddings rag), a dash of all the etiquette and civility blogs on the web, and well... maybe I'll write a paper on it all one day.

Though there were more things in my buggy -- a crystal decanter, a little Italian cake stand (tiny with daisies), a crystal honey pot -- I'll end with this piece:





What is it?

Other than some type of mug and saucer, I have no idea. It's china with teal and gold transfer color, and there is an inscription that ends in "1969r." (the script you see in the photo above), but I can't figure it out. Any ideas?

There's also a mark, but I haven't had a moment to research it:



I'm thinking of using it with a great big peony bloom! Love that gold!


*The elephants will make an appearance in a few days... I love them too much not to share.