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Tag Archive | "Collecting"

Waddington’s: A Feast of Blue & White

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

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There are some fine pieces in the upcoming Waddington's Decorative Arts Sale (December 9 and 10) but what really sparked my interest was the plethora of Worcester blue and white porcelain on offer. Culled from the estate of Larry and Betty Douglas, the collection includes some Worcester transferware but most of the pieces are painted, some with very dramatic dragon motifs.

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The Thrill of the Hunt

Saturday, October 10, 2009

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Last week, on a routine stop at Queen's Key Antiques (1086 1/2 Queen Street West), I hit the proverbial jackpot. There on the wall was the biggest tortoise shell I've ever seen for a price I could actually afford. Now, don't get me wrong, $250 for what is essentially wall tchotchke is nothing to sniff at, but this shell would probably cost $1,250 if I'd found it at Toronto's Kantelberg Antiques or L'Atelier.

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Cool & Unusual: A Collector’s Paradise

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

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Art Nouveau never really caught on in North America, which explains why you see so little of it in antique and vintage shops here in Toronto. So imagine my delight at stumbling upon Cool and Unusual Antiques & Curios (105 Danforth Avenue at Broadview), a secret vault of Art Nouveau, Jungendstil and genuine English Arts and Crafts treasures. I call it a secret vault because Cool & Unusual is tucked into a basement beneath a record shop and is only open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 5 pm.

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House of Brass

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

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About a month ago I received an email from Elte announcing Kelly Wearstler's new line of bedding with a prominent photo of said linens and a whole lot of brass, above left. Well, if it's good enough for Kelly, it's good enough for me. Actually Mike and I have been "collecting" brass for the last few years. It started innocently enough; we wanted some bedside lamps to work with our gold folding screen headboard and brass seemed to hit the right note. After those lamps came another. Then another. And another. Now our place is the house of brass.

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The Dog House

Thursday, February 19, 2009

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Mike and I have a marvelous pair of Scotties but the truth is, we love ALL dogs, a fact that’s pretty obvious after a short tour of our home. And yet unless you’re watching for it and doing the math, it’s easy enough to overlook the fact that our house is crammed with dog-themed art from paintings and prints to tchotchkes and statuary. As Leonard Cohen says, “There ain’t no cure for love.”

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