{MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012}

Wishing all of you, worldwide a MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012! May there be PEACE and HOPE for many. Above all LOVE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

With fresh paperwhites, they are such a fragrant bonus for this time of year!

Point à la Ligne candle. Vase is Mandalay by Masons.

Pillow was my winning Giveaway from Rebecca of: A Gathering Place.

Tablecloth is silk brocade, that Pieter did bring back from his trip for Campbell Soup to China, with People to People Citizen Ambassador Program.

Merry Christmas

Feliz Navidad

Joyeux Noel

Frohe Weihnachten

Buon Natale

Related links:

{Silk Brocade for our PRINCE OF PEACE} previous post by me

{Silk Embroidered Birds from China Trip} previous post by me

{MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010} previous post by me about A Gathering Place's pillow from above

Christie's Mandalay by Masons showing you the Mandalay by Mason, as is my vase above...

{Our Nativity & Angels from Italy}

Christmas is getting very close now. So let me show you our hand carved wooden nativity scene with angels from South Tyrol, Italy. The birth of Jesus is the reason for the season... Our Saviour who came into this world because of LOVE.

The wood carving is so meticulously done by the Italian craftsmen!

Love the angel holding a HEART; the universal symbol of Love...

At present we do have some Paperwhites blooming again. 

As well as fragrant Chimonanthus praecox (Calycanthus p.) (C. fragrans) which you see in the center of this Mandalay Chartreuse vase by Mason, together with Ilex decidua 'Finches Golden' a yellow berried Ilex. 

Last year we only had the yellow Ilex (holly berries) but this year there are plenty of red Ilex.

Do you have a special nativity scene in your home?

Wishing you a Merry Christmas with all your loved ones!

Related link:
{Our Garden's Winter Blooms for Christmas} my previous post about this Wintersweet flower...
Christie's Mandalay by Masons showing you the Mandalay by Mason, as is my vase above...

{Wishing YOU a Happy 4th Advent 2012!}

All of us will be very busy in the few days before Christmas 2012. Therefore we like to wish You all a Happy 4th Advent Sunday. That is a very short 4th Advent, as we go straight into Christmas Eve! Enjoy this time with family and friends and wishing you safe travels for those that still are in transit to meet with their loved ones. We know how much traffic there was on the road on Friday when we went to Atlanta for stocking up. Stay warm and cozy!

May the Angels keep you and your loved ones safe...

Related links:

{4th Advent} previous post by me, 2011
{Wishing you a Happy 3rd Advent 2012!} previous post by me

{First Week of Advent 2012} my previous post

{Second Week of Advent 2012} my previous post
{2nd Advent & Great Family Time} last year, 2011 post by me
{Silk Brocade for our PRINCE OF PEACE} last year about 3rd Advent, post by me
Christie's Mandalay by Masons showing you the Mandalay by Mason, as is my plate above...

{Conrad Moroder, Italy | Angels & Cherubs}

As you all know by now, I love ROSES and ANGELS. Or CHERUBS, PUTTI, whatever you name them! Here I like to show you some beautiful pieces from Italy, by Conrad Moroder ←click link. Neiman Marcus sold these in their catalog and I did copy that page, as I fell in love with them. You can click on Conrad Moroder's link above, for going to their website.

They reside in our living room year round—not only for Christmas...

These are large ones and quite pricey but gorgeous! 

Always realizing that they are HAND carved from wood in South Tyrol, Italy during their long winter months. 

Or in Austria or South Germany.

Having lived in Italy we know which area they are created, we drove through quite often.

They are also hand painted and actual 24 carat gold is being used on them as well!

Do you love them?

Christie's is showing here a South German Parcel-Gilt and Polychrome 18th century angel  ←(click link) of about the same size, that sold at triple Neiman Marcus' price.

A pair of German or Austrian carved and gilded 19th century cherubs...←click link.

A South German Carved Wood and Polychrome Cherub's head 19th century... ←click link.

A South German Giltwood and Polychrome Cherub Head Mask late 17th or early 18th century...←click link.

A Pair of Carved Wood Angels North European, 19th Century... ←click link.

A pair of German sculpted and painted wood cherubs' head, late 17th or 18th century... ←click link.

Carved and stained wood cherub, 20th century... ←click link.

A pair of Flemish carved limewood cherubs, late 17th or early 18th century... ←click link.

Hope you enjoyed this kind of museum tour through Christie's auctions.

You find such baroque style Angels | Cherubs | Putti, all over in Italy, Austria and South Germany in Churches and Cathedrals. For those of you that cannot travel I thought it is great for showing them here. Also on my Zen Cart powered on line boutique Mariette's Back to Basics, I do have some Antique Italian Angels, Cherubs, Putti... for quite a different price; see further links below.

Related links:

{6 Antique & Vintage Italian Angels, Cherubs Putti} previous post by me
{Our Living Room ANGELS - CHERUBS} previous post by me
{Our Living Room} previous post by me
{5 Angels - Putti from Italy & Germany} previous post by me
{Angels & Cross Stitch for Christmas}| previous post by me

{Second Week of Advent 2012}

2nd Sunday of Advent went by too fast; so many things to do. Today was also for a big part phone call day with loved ones, after coming home from Church. We still have fond memories from last year when our daughter Liz was staying with us during 2nd Advent Week. That is always special to be with family. We have never had that for any Advent or Christmas in all 29 years...

Our oval Mandalay Chartreuse plate by Masons with two scented candles.

The green rose on the left is a French Point A La Ligne.

The green star emits a wonderful balsam of fir needles...

Just guessing that a lot of you didn't see my post from last year.

You can read here about: {2nd Advent & Great Family Time}

Today was as lovely as last year and tomorrow it will be 24°C. But than it is getting cooler.

This was in the afternoon...

Wishing you all a lovely Second Week of Advent for 2012!

Related link:

{Point A La Ligne the Rolls Royce of Candles} my previous post

Christie's Mandalay by Masons

{Guilloché Enamel Brooches, Thimble and Rose Box}

When our daughter Liz asked what I got for my birthday I told her that I'd gotten one more lovely Guilloché Enamel Brooche with ROSES. Of course! So here I'd like to show you my birthday gift and another enamel brooch that I had before. Also an enamel thimble and a guilloché ROSE box. One of my favorite pieces.

This is a lovely Norwegian Arne Nordlie 925 silver guilloché brooch with roses. 

I put it outside on the balcony in the sunshine, on top of my silk La Perla night gown...

Yes, I do have a blissful relationship in many ways with husband Pieter!

This is a previous birthday gift from Pieter. An enameled silver brooch with roses.

Taking such pictures makes one aware of some cleaning to be done. To the right is a spot where a  tooth brush would do wonders! The human eye does by far not capture this.

One of my favorite rose pieces. A guilloché silver pill box. 

What artistry!

Guilloché is on the rim of the lid and on the sides. Amazing work.

This is a silver enamel thimble with a rose...

The top is from glass.

Related links:
Christie's Silver and Guilloché Thimbles
Christie's Enameled Silver-Gilt Box with Guilloché

The sides with similar oyster white enamel on vertical guilloché zig-zag reeding, plain silver base with hallmarks.

Christie’s silver guilloché enamel clock sold for $ 31,315

Guilloché (Guilloche) is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail. Translucent enamel was applied over guilloché metal by Peter Carl Fabergé on the Faberge eggs and other pieces from the 1880s.
Enameling Guilloche – Beauty Invented By Faberge 

{4th Advent}

The final Sunday of Advent is there and soon we have Christmas! Another short and speedy year... Are you having the same experience too? Especially if one is not feeling totally fit, it kind of slips through your fingers. There is no halting to time, we are forced to move forward with the masses. But again I'd like to show some Advent photos to you.

Inside our veranda, in front of the shaded windows. Shadows from the live oak cast onto the linen shades due to the sunshine we had on Saturday. The green cotton Zweigart Aida tablecloth now with a Mason's Mandalay Chartreuse plate for the brass spiral candle holders.

In the back is a group of angels looking on, all from South Tyrol, Italy.

The one on the left is a ceramic one and was a gift from Italian friend Maria from Ristorante da Maria and the others are all wooden angels from Italy.

Our healthy Sago Palm makes it look more exotic, like our years living in Indonesia where we spent Christmas in the tropics.

Seen is also the Lampe Berger with Cherub from our private collection.

All the angels - cherubs

Wishing you all a Happy 4th Advent!

Related articles

{3rd Advent} previous post by me
{2nd Advent & Great Family Time} previous post by me
Christie's Mandalay by Masons

{Camille Tharaud Limoges Cobalt Blue Round pâte-sur-pâte box}

This is the last special Camille Tharaud Limoges boxes in pâte-sur-pâte that I have for you. It is a larger round one and no angel but a very lovely lady on a swing. The color is absolutely stunning in cobalt blue and he enamel is so shiny that it was quite a job for photographing this. Again exclusively available at my Zen Cart powered Mariette's Back to Basics on line.

Camille Tharaud born in France in 1878 was probably the most important artist ever, for making Limoges Enameled Elegance. He also mastered pâte sur pâte, or literally translated: paste on paste. The translation paste on paste however is misleading. The dark tint of the cobalt blue used for these jewelry or candy boxes, makes these pâte sur pâte objects so striking. They are finely painted and hand tooled on white slip. Tharaud's conception of the grand feu ̶ a single firing of an enameled piece at 1400 degrees ̶ literally locks the enamel decoration into the porcelain, permanently capturing the intended colors and decorating effects in one fell swoop. You can read more on page 17 of the 2009 high gloss book Deco Décor by Donald-Brian Johnson Leslie Piña.

Display is on a French Le Jacquard Français tea towel...

Marked with an F - Made in France - C (Camille) Tharaud Limoges France.

Sold out...

Christie's did auction off this heavenly plaque of pâte-sur-pâte by another artist, signed M. Chaufriasse Limoges. That sold on April 24 of 2003 for $ 5,019! 

{Early 1900s French Camille Tharaud Limoges pâte-sur-pâte plaque}

A very rare gem is this early 1900s French Camille Tharaud Limoges pâte-sur-pâte enameled porcelain plaque with oval ormolu frame. It was available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. It does have an easel to stand on and would make a beautiful display. Scroll down to see more photos and also some similar items that were sold at Christie's.

This enameled porcelain pâte-sur-pâte plaque from Camille Tharaud Limoges was very difficult to photograph...

The frame is in gilt metal, a technique called Ormolu.

Here it is on a blue batik tablecloth, outside on the balcony.

This one is also on the balcony...

Always some reflection in the shiny enameled porcelain.

This is taken inside on our French oak table in the dining room.

The green marks Limoges France

In gold C (Camille) Tharaud Limoges France

Also the easel is visible here. All in perfect condition.

Closeup of the French marks. It can also be hung from the loop.

This is a smal Limoges pâte-sur-pâte plaque that was sold by Christie's A SMALL LIMOGES PATE-SUR-PATE PLAQUE. It yielded $ 813 in December of 2008. For sure that made a perfect Christmas gift to someone!

Another Limoges pâte-sur-pâte rectangular plaque sold in 1998 at Christie's for $ 672, see Christie's A Limoges pâte-sur-pâte rectangular plaque

Another sold at Christie's in 2003 for $ 5,019 see: Christie's A LIMOGES PÂTE-SUR-PÂTE BLUE-GROUND RECTANGULAR PLAQUE 

This is a scan from page 137 of my book: ART DECO LIMOGES Camille Tharaud and other ceramists

Keith & Thomas Waterbrook-Clyde see here at Amazon.

Sorry sold out...