{Antique Regal Art Nouveau Inkwell Set on Tray in Silver & Porcelain}

For you I found an Antique Regal Art Nouveau Inkwell Set on Tray in Silver & Porcelain. This treasure comes from Portugal and is hand painted in blue by the famous Douro factory of the region Porto-Gaia. They continue to enrich the cultural heritage of past centuries, with this traditional pottery of the region, and are the largest in the entire country. The edging and feet of the porcelain tray are in 925 sterling silver with hallmarks. Also the hinged top of the inkwell is in pure 925 sterling silver. In one of the two depressions is an 835 silver calligraphy pen from Porto, Portugal. Again, this is available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. 

Does any of you have antique or vintage inkwells or calligraphy pens?

Such a regal inkwell set with the Santo Tirso coat of arms hand painted on the tray. 

Santo Tirso is a municipality northeast of Porto, Portugal with its famous 17th century São Bento monastery.

Beautiful 835 silver calligraphy pen with Porto, Portugal hallmarks.

Guess in the second depression once was a wax seal...? Would any of you know its original use?

Regal Inkwell set with Royal letterhead from the Maharaja Amarinder Singh of Patiala from Motibagh Palace, Patiala (Punjab), India.

Beautiful hand painting of the Santo Tirso, Portugal coat of arms and on the inkwell, all four sides are hand painted the same!

The lower right corner has flowers and leaves engraved. You also can see one of its feet.

This Inkwell Set is in near perfect condition and that for its age!

In Portuguese: CERÂMICA DO DOURO 

PORTUGAL

PINTURA À MÃO

Ceramics of Douro - Portugal and hand painted

Very hard to capture with the glossy depression's edges. 

The inside of the Inkwell, with its hinged cap open now.

The silver hallmarks under the hinged cap of the inkwell.

These are the 925 silver hallmarks, one with a letter A. It is on the edge of the tray and on the inkwell.

I did some research but other than information about the hallmark of Antonio Firmo da Costa, Lisbon, Portugal, circa 1800 by Christie's I could not find anything else... If anyone is knowledgeable about the above hallmark; please let me know!

These are the 835 silver hallmarks on the calligraphy pen.

The yellow marked hallmark is the lower one, from Porto, Portugal. 

Lisbon, Portugal is the very same though...

Yes, its old original box is still with it. I doubt if it ever has been used...

The box shows signs of age but the inkwell set looks near perfect. Needs some polishing maybe.

Sorry Sold out...

So tell me what you got from your parents or grand parents...

I do have some privately owned inkwells as well.

{My Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #6}

Showing you here my Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #6, this one also was a Bridal Hankie given to Erika in 2000 for her wedding day. Hers I crocheted in Indonesia, on the patio of our bungalow. Below this post you find links from e.g. Crochet Edging on Antique French Knotted Filet Lace where you actually can see the fine DMC Cordonnet Spécial in a size 80. That's right, I use this very fine thread with a steel crochet hook size 0.75 mm.

This very fine hand crocheted lace is done in about 12 hours.

Labour of LOVE.

Using our gardenia and roses for making it look even more perfect...

Such a bridal hankie I loved to recreate for myself as well.

It is a beautiful Swiss cotton batiste embroidered handkerchief with hemstitched edging. That is the hardest part to count those openings and getting your stitches right for the pattern.

Lace pattern is from a German Neue Mode.

Would you have loved to have such a hand made crocheted lace bridal hankie?

Related links: All are previous posts by me.
{Crochet Edging on Antique French Knotted Filet Lace}
{My Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #5}   
{My Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #4}
{My Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #3}
{My Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #2}
{My Lace Crocheted Handkerchief #1}

{Our 5 Spun Glass Halloween Ornaments}

Halloween is not something I love... but this is the very modest way in which we celebrate it. With some German made Spun Glass Halloween Ornaments hung in our kitchen bay window. That's IT! Nothing else, no contribution of trash from our part. These small ornaments are Eco friendly and they are for keeps. They would be way too expensive for tossing out.  D. Blümchen & Company in New Jersey makes those vintage Dresden, Germany style ornaments. Click the hyperlink to see more. 

That's my view from the breakfast table, looking towards the road (barely visible).

That's it; five ornaments! You see our evergreen Southern Magnolia tree and it actually is sitting on the lawn with its branches.

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!

Related link:
{My Old-Time Spun Glass Halloween Ornaments} my previous post

{In 1886 on October 28, The Statue of Liberty got Inaugurated}

Again I read an interesting story in the French Linternaute.com (see below) that the Statue of Liberty will reopen on October 28, after some interior renovations. That is exactly on the 126th birthday, as it got inaugurated in 1886 on that day. The Statue of Liberty offically known as: Liberty Enlightening the World and is a gift from France as a sign of friendship. It is so special in many ways. Who does not know the Statue of Liberty? 

This is a photo from part of  a French Yves Delorme tea towel.

LADY LIBERTY

A sonnet by poet Emma Lazarus:

“The New Colossus”

 Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame, 

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 

by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883 

{202 044 600 Entries for Gone With the Wind - Most Viewed Movie}

Because we do live in the State of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind, I love to share this very special information with you. On the French Linternaute.com you can see this information. 

Who has NOT seen this movie? 

Or read the books?

Mariette's Back to Basics Links

Sure, from my website's Links page you can go to Visit Scarlett (click it) and find lots of information!

Enjoy it. Oh, while on that page, you may add me to your Google+  -- THANKS!

Let me know if you watched the movie, and/or read the book.

{Fix Your Facebook News Feed}

Maybe you have noticed that your favorite Pages or Interests on Facebook have disappeared from your News Feed. Okay, there is a simple trick for solving that. All the check points I have marked yellow so you can easily follow along.

Click on Home

Click on MORE

Click on Add Interests...

After new page opens; click on Create List

Now click on each thumbnail image, you will see check-mark.

Notice the two in the right corner, bottom row I not yet clicked.

Click on Next...

Put e.g. My List and check Only Me (whatever YOU choose) and hit Done

My List is now created and you must click on it in order to see it.

That takes care of the News Feed again!

You can always go back and repeat for new Pages etc. 

Hope this was helpful.

{My French Ormolu Jewelry Box & Silver Angels}

Just have to show off this gorgeous French Ormolu Jewelry Box with my Silver Angels... Purchased from one Blogger I Admire: Beth from Salvage Life. Beth is located in Long Beach, California. At this difficult time of a downward economy, where the unemployment rate is very high and the people receiving food stamps in the US of A is up by 46% over the past 4 years, I applaud women like Beth! Sure, we all need to pay attention to the future, we need a true leader that brings us out of the present situation, but for the time being we are in it. Both Pieter and I have voted on Friday, October 19, and we hope that ALL Americans will exercise their voting right. Now let me show you my treasure:

Photo taken outside, on our balcony. 

After husband Pieter did clean up the beautiful repousse roses that are in Ormolu or Gilt Metal, this is what I got. My silver angel cherub pill box with gilt goes so beautifully with it. 

Just LOVE those repousse roses!

Luckily I did spot in time what it was and obtained this beautiful beveled glass jewelry box.

Having lots of books on the subject for educating yourself, always pays off in the end.

We only needed to replace the bottom glass as it was missing.

This jewelry box makes a gorgeous display for my Silver Angels that are for sale at my Spectrenoir boutique on line, free shipping!

Those cherub angel crosses you see in this box, are already sold...

All ingredients together; perfect light from sunshine; real roses and repousse ormolu roses.

Plus my favorite of angels and cherubs...

Don't you love them too? 

We all need a guardian angel and even as a nation we are in dire need of one!

The Raphael angel, bottom right is sold too...

Crosses are sold, one is upside down and one shows the front. They were identical.

The alphabet angels are solid 925 silver charms from Giovanni Raspini Charms & Co, Italy from the heart of Tuscany. See link below post.

Roses, Lace, Angels and Cherubs

Who does NOT love that combination?

AngelsnRosebuds

The above WAS my Twitter name and you know now WHY...

Wishing you a blessed day!

Related link:

{Giovanni Raspini 925/000 Silver Charms for YOU} | previous post showing you my boutique items

{October 24, 2012 is World Polio Day}

October 24, 2012 is again World Polio Day ←(click it). In our lives there have been three persons we worked with, that had Polio.

Our boss in Italy had Polio as a young boy, but he grew out of it and managed a normal life. 

In Mernda, Victoria in Australia at one of the Campbell Soup mushroom plants, I worked with Tony, the harvest manager, in June of 1988 and he walked still on crutches, however FAST! It amazed me how driven this young man was and he had a great work ethic, despite him having had polio and never completely getting out of it. I certainly did admire his dedication.

Let me now introduce you again to John H.G. Soe from Jakarta, Indonesia with his incredible Polio related story... ‘Nobody’s child, everybody’s man’ as published in the Jakarta Post ←(click it). You will find the link of last year's blog-post about him, below this post. You also can click on the hyperlink above, but if you need to use a translator, that will not work... so for that you better read my post below.

http://www.endpolio.org/
Both of us are proud of what Rotary has done so far.
Husband Pieter is a Rotarian since 36 years and he was the President of the Dutch Rotary Club of Venray, in 1978.

Do you have anyone that suffered Polio?

Related clickable links:
{World Polio Day - Nobody's child everybody's man - Jakarta Post} | my post about Polio, 2011
Polio Eradication
Polio survivors share a wealth of insight  | interesting insights from the above mentioned friend...

{Like Princess Diana, I also Tried to Tackle the Leprosy Stigma} | post about how John H G Soe has been helpful in obtaining a Grant from Rotary International for helping Leprosy victims.

{183 Countries Visited - Welcome Togo and Uzbekistan}

Not much time left for blogging, so I quickly give you an update on the total countries visited since July of 2011 when I put the Flag Counter on. Welcome Togo and Uzbekistan as the latest two countries added. That makes now 183. Thank You ALL; wherever you are!

We have probably ever flown over Uzbekistan, but certainly never visited...

Togo in West Africa is unknown territory to both of us as well. Don't think we even flew over it when flying to South Africa.

The world is getting smaller; viral but it is still a big planet for visiting it ALL.

Wishing you all a happy week and THANKS again.

Stay tuned for tutorial on how to Fix FB News Feed.

{French Toile de Jouy Door Knob Pillow Sachets with Lavender}

As you noticed, I changed my Header since I no longer do have those blue Toile de Jouy French Country Style items. Sold Saterday the last of them! These in the header, are the only red ones left with angels and one more with roses on my Zen Cart powered boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.

Red ones are all sold too...

Bye-bye blue Toile  de Jouy Angels & Roses... All gone now.

These are the only Toile de Jouy Angels left...

Sold...

Plus one Toile de Jouy left with roses.

Sold as well...

{Victoria Magazine Sept - Oct 2012 and Toile DE JOUY} read here for more info on the Toile de Jouy.

{Vintage Silver Tea Strainer with Cherubs}

For the cozy winter season coming up, what a joy for serving some hot tea for friends. In order to do this in a traditional and romantic style, I found for you a Vintage Silver-Tea-Strainer with Cherubs. Very unique piece and it will be hard for finding a second one. As usual, available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics.

Shown here, resting atop a teacup & saucer.

You can see the cherubs around this solid silver-tea-strainer.

Closeup of the cherubs from the handle down...

Closeup of the cherubs on the side.

The four silver hallmarks.

This tea strainer came from Germany but I need some help with the markings.

Does anybody have an idea which silver maker had these marks? 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

A big thank you to Johanna Gehrlein, author of the book: Rosen-Bestecke and expert in rose silver.

According to her it is: German silver from Hanau by silversmith J.L. Schlingloff. The 4th hallmark clearly does show the initials J L with the S over them.

Check my comments for Johanna's reaction.

Johanna did cleverly point out in her comment that such a strainer can be used as a sugar sifter for decorating cake, pancakes or waffles. Many uses in the kitchen.

Sold out...

Are you using loose tea at home?

Do you own a tea strainer?

Love to know...

Related link:

Silver-Sunday/Tea Accessories by Johanna's blog Silber+Rosen showing Tea Boxes by J.L. Schlingloff

Palazzo Falson information about J.L. Schlingloff early 20th Century

Tea with Kate Spade  from High Heeled Life in the Country; showing off this very tea strainer...

Rekindling the Romance ~ With Yourself- Part 2 of 2 | Dear Friend Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista showing the tea strainer again... ♥