So, I thought another installment was due in the ‘treasured possessions’ series (here’s the first, and the second); a little collection of posts about some of my most valued (note, not valuable) items I own, in a bid to counteract the blog tendency to be about the new and shiny.
So, here is a snapshot of a few of the pieces in my ceramics collection.
The top shelf is a few bits from my Hornsea Pottery stash (I have three more boxes in the garage, yet to find a home). I collect the ‘saffron’ (yellow and orange) and ‘bronte’ (green and orange) glazes:
They’re not just for display though. The cabinet pictured is by our back door and this cruet set has been a staple this summer for al fresco dinners. I love the chunky, practicality of them (fine bone china makes me nervous); the typography on the storage jars and the fact that my daddy found most of these pieces for me at various antique/car boot fairs just adds to the joy of them.
The middle shelf houses my cherished Royal Doulton Bunnykins set. Passed down from my sister to me, I don’t quite have the confidence in Country Bebe’s table manners to let him use them yet, but I love that the pattern is well worn after many a plate-scraping by me as a greedy toddler. You can pick these sets up inexpensively on eBay, they’d make a classic gift for a godchild.
On the bottom shelf sit a few bits of Denby (I actually use these dainty cups as tealight holders in the garden for ‘after-dusk’ dinners) and two 1920s flower vases that are great for delicate blooms like sweet peas or anenomes.
Here’s our everyday Denby dinner service (bowls, dinner and side plates out of shot):
It is a bit of a mish-mash of pieces, they were odds and ends picked up from auction houses or charity shops but slowly the collection is growing. We genuinely use it everyday, as of course it was originally designed to be.
Finally, my absolute favourite piece: my honey pot:
Brazenly stolen from my parents’ house (my ceramics obsession is not above theft it seems), it is unmarked so no idea of the maker but I love that it comes with the addition of a rather jaunty pipe-cleaner bee. You don’t get that in Ikea.
