A bowl of Spring

Here in Stockholm Spring is very slow in coming so I helped it along with this simple arrangement of white pansys in a large beautiful cream ware punch bowl from Rörstrand. It´s from the serie´s Svart Sverige (Black Sweden- a dramatic name no?) and the motive on the bowl is from Tullgarn Castle.
Good. Well then, now I feel much better :)

Welcome!

This is what it looks like after we fixed uo the shop a little.
We spent a long time getting that pale warm blue color and were surprised to see how well it worked with almost everything!

And being crazy about color we laughed about how even the antique chips took up the colors of the cushion next to it...


I love these dark bronzes against the cream white of the mock tile-oven cabinet. It´s Napoleon and his son the King of Naples.

This is a rather large gustavian mirror with a very beautiful glass, the arms are later, really simple for this elegant mirror but they bring charm and history to it.

My favorite Strömbäck urn and a rare Marieberg ceramic.


And just look at this beauty! Talk about color! Its all original paint of such a rare shade. One of the most beautiful chest of drawers we have ever had. Or that I have ever seen!
And the chairs next to it are also original and look almost grey in comparison but they actually have a greenish shade to that grey. Exquisite condition with great foot endings, the part that is almost always worn down on rococo chairs which strongly changes their apperance.

It was difficult to photograph this outstanding drop leaf in the shop which is so crowded at the moment. It has legs of a slightly darker, almost turqoise shade and the top is pale blue with paint all over and in absolutely fantastic condition. I will do a post about it later because it has some very special details as well......
The plate is a rare one from Marieberg.

This single rococo arm chair is of that unusual cream yellow. It has everything one might want from a chair of this type and the patina is to die for. A truly wonderful piece. And it´s not mine,!
It´s my business partner Mats Freidenfelt´s! We now share the shop and he has brought some fantastic items, the mock tile cabinet is his as well.

I have a soft spot for botanicals.
This is part of a large collection by a woman who spent 60 years of her life collecting plants and flowers not only in Sweden but in Greece, Germany, Spain and other Euopean countries.
Common for all of them are the meticulous presentation and attention to detail.
And she also used acid-free paper so the condition of them are excellent.


A set of rococo saltines from London.
Don´t you think that the contrast of silver on such a rustic table top is just the thing?


It´s not easy getting colors right with my camera- just look at the difference of the shade of that wall in these two photos.
But I assure you that is is truly wonderful. As is the clock of the best Stockholm quality.
And the chest of drawers as well, although it actually isn´t from Stockholm which is why it is not allowed for export, being a rare example of gustavian provincial carpetry of great quality.
And isn´t the rococo lady a great personality whe way she firmly holds that blue umbrella.
And the frame is the original one too.

I collect these bonnets. They are so sculptural and I am also a sucker for antique emboidery.
And again- that shade of pale green silk...



A single lovely rococo chair of Stockholm quality.
Original paint of course!

As I said before- so well presented!

This is the back of a small mirror you have seen on the blog before. I just love that décor.

My set of four Wedgewood plates an one of two demi lunes with original marble-imitaion tops.
In the background is a delicious silk embroidery.


An elegant gustavian clock, unfortunately without the actuall clock inside. I am looking for one but it´s not easy to find one as it must fit with the holes on the face of it.

We are not going all vintage here but we couldn´t resist this color again and the military fur is actually "original color" and makes me wonder what kind of soldier was allowed that shade which wouldn´t have been created to blend in- quite the opposite!

This dress is hand embroidered and from the early 20th century. A dream!


Our little wood bird looking out..

These troughs are from the Kinnekulle area in Sweden and hand carved in sand stone. They were originally meant to hold food for animals and were made in the second half of the 19th century.

A favorite of mine- a baroque box with exquisitely printed leather and original metalwork.

This is also Mats- a wonderful tray table with original paint except on the top which is retouched.
It had just the right rococo curves, not too much and not too little.


A decorative set of empire coffee cups from France.

And a tole tea-urn which you can read more about in an older post. Love it!

Well this was one massive post, I hope you have enjoyed it!

New treasures in the shop

I have a weakness fore tole objects. This is a lovely samovar with a strong chinese influence in shape and form, just look at the legs and that pagoda-shaped tap!
It´s not so common to find one with all parts remaining and it is also a nice stately size- around 45 cm high.



Once I hesitated just a bit too long and missed out on a pair of 18th century shoes and there and then I promised myself that this would never happen again. So I instantly grabbed these exclusive embroidered empire shoes when I found them although they were more expensive than most of my own...



Another of my favorite areas are boxes and objects covered in red leather, so called maroquin named after the origin of the fine quality leather, namely Marocko.
This is a lady´s sewing box from the beginning of the 19th century. In the lid you can see a print on silk with an exotic motive. During this time travel literature was becoming very popular and with this came all kinds of prints from exotic places. Although I have never seen this motive in a sewing box before. Look also at the little needle book made with so much care.



This is an urn made at Höganäs pottery works in Sweden. I have had one unglazed object from them before but they are not so common.
This one uses Thorvaldsen´s motive "Night" and "Day" on each side. There is some small damage to the handles but I just found it soo charming!


Day..




I also found a set of four Wedgewood plates with the acorn pattern that I love.



and four small jugs in the green ceramic from Skåne which is another passion of mine; I buy all I can find!


Finally a tole tray with a lot of patina. I am always on the lookout for red objects as they work so well with the pale colored furniture I have.

A glimpse at the shop in October..

This is what´s on display in my window at the moment: A composition with some of my personal favorites!
On the left is a fantastic handpainted wallpaper with a fantasy landscape inspired by China and Turkey. The bench is very beautiful with great carvings and bluish grey original paint. On top of it are two Marieberg faiances; a basket shaped bowl (not allowed for export) and a magnificent large plate. Then comes a ladies mirror with original paint and underneath are my favorite pair of 18th century slippers and a handpainted tole tray with a motive from the Bay of Naples.
To the right is an armchair with carvings like nothing I have ever seen before, also in original paint, of course and on the seat are a pair of exquisite parisian coffee cups and to the far right a gorgeous Gustavian canopy (I think it´s called?)

This little mirror you have seen before but it is so photogenic that I use it all the time in different still lifes! It´s from the home of a collector and probably from the Swedish island Gotland. The condition is all original and just the way I like it. And reflected in the glass you can see one of a pair of rococo pewter candle sticks and the background are one of three wall panels saved from a rococo house torn down in the 70´s.

The shop is really small which makes it very difficult to photograph as the shots tend to look very messy, but this will have to do...
Under a late empire chandelier is one of a set of four Gustavian chairs in fantastic condition. On the also Gustavian drop leaf table are some Wedgewood plates, a Rörstrand urn, some very nice pewter candle sticks, 18th century glass and a spiral carafe.

My favorite late baroque table, also from the home of a collector. Just look at the painting in gold on that leg! The box is also great, dated 1820 and from Västergötland.

This dear little painting is probably Dutch and depicts ladies (!) and gentlemen at leisure fishing.
On the chair is a lime stone box meant for butter.

Thanks for stopping by!
Next time I will show you a great drop leaf table, large and with the best original paint...

I´m back and the shop is open again!

Hello!
I know it´s been a long time but finally I´m back in town and in the shop.
And on the blog!
Summer has been just the best and all my intentions of blogging just floated off on a wave.
It´s great to be back in business again though and I have a lot of new fantastic aquisitions that I will show successively.

And this weekend is going to be so exciting as we are having a celebrity visit to the shop!

I´ve been away shopping...

..and, truly, I can see how it all would look wonderful in my summerhouse on Gotland. But no way Sofie! Being a dealer is a lot about finding stuff but also about letting go... So (I´m sorry to say though I shouldn´t be) all the items are for sale. Well, except the green bottle that is already sold.
In my summerhouse I have sort of a green theme and this french wooden basket would be a great addition. If I kept it I would use it for firewood or even better- for lots of blankets to bring out for the long after dinner sittings we often have on chilly Swedish summer evenings..
I have also seen one like it filled with orchids in the middle of a table. See it here or from another angle.
In the background you can see a part of an amazing wall panel that was once part of a rococo house in Västervik. Sadly the house was torn down in the seventies but fortunately the panel was rescued by a collector and when his estate was sold I was fortunate enough to buy it. It´s one of my most treasured pieces.

On this shopping trip I was looking for simple yet special items and this black stool thing that is more a podium or shelf caught my eye immediately! It´s not more than 15 cm high and has the most lovely patina. You will see it in some of the following photos as it works so well with the other things I bought.
In this shot is also a french apothecary´s bottle with hand painted text in white and red reading " chloramine" and a black wooden cabaret-style bowl with small compartments that is unlike anything I´ve ever seen.
Here´s my demi lune with original paint and on top is a wonderfully carved fragment from a sofa. I´m thinking north of Sweden. The center fan-like shape is in original paint and the surrounding white areas are later with the original color underneath.
If it was mine (which it is but you know what I mean) I would use it over a door or straight on a wall as an object in itself.

Here´s my podium again. This time together with a couple of vellum books from the 16th century resting on it´s faded top and a black tin cylinder that I wanted to buy in february but resisted and now finally gave in to " why not? love it-buy it!"

When it comes to glass I really love it when it is tainted due to the composition of the material and my favorite shade is magenta. So I put together wine glasses, a gorgeous cloche and an 18th century plate: all with shades of magenta.
The plate is a faiance made probably by Marieberg with a pattern called "flower of hops"
Here´s the cloche. Not so easy to see the shade. But it´s there and it´s great. Promise.