Click to Visit These Popular Posts

CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT DIY Spring Tulip WreathCONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Pottery Barn Inspired Nest Place Card HoldersCONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Farmhouse Spring Porch 6CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT Easy Flower Pot Wreath

23 March, 2018

Best Thrifting Find Ever!

I just discovered that a fun thrifting trip netted me my best antiquing find ever! It looks like a little book...2 inches by 2 ¾ inches...and I don't know how I even managed to see it. But if you know me, you know that the combination of roosters and French script drew me in right away! And it was only $10...best bargain ever as you will see!


The expression on the front means When this rooster crows, my love will end. That might sound a little dismal, but it's actually an expression of true love since, obviously, the rooster will never crow. Something about the brush strokes gave me an inkling of what I was holding...

...and when I turned it over, I knew! It was a piece of vintage Quimper pottery!

The little Bretonne woman is frequently found as a motif on Quimper French faïence. In fact, I already have a COLLECTION OF QUIMPER POTTERY so she would have lots of company at my house!

The piece was in the shape of a tiny book with the word Souvenir on the spine. No need to translate that one for you since we borrowed that word from the French!

But here's the puzzle...there was a little hole on the top of the piece. It was labeled as a pencil holder but I suspected that was wrong. I was betting that a tiny cork had been there originally.

It reminded me of a thrifting find from almost 10 years ago. (Wow! Have I been thrifting that long?) Eudora would like to show it to you. It's a reproduction of a Williamsburg ladies' hand warmer from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Warm water was added and voilà!...a useful little item in cold weather! I suspected that this little Quimper piece was intended to hold something as well...but what? I couldn't wait to find out!

Sooo...needless to say, this wonderful little gem came home with me! As soon as I got there, I started my search and made a startling discovery! This wonderful piece is actually a Quimper snuff bottle...most likely dating from the late 1800s. And...hold on to your hats...a similar one is available on ANOTHER SITE for $225!! Whaaaat?? Mine was only $10! And I found it on another site HERE but with the little Breton man instead.

Since snuff was popular in that period and the little bottles would have been gifts that were carried and used frequently, expressions of love were added to them as constant reminders of the giver's feelings.

And here are the front and back views of my new treasure, nestled in my QUIMPER POTTERY COLLECTION. Needless to say, this one will get a place of honor way up high, away from little hands and roaming feline staff members! And...I have to say I am one happy camper! :-)


Also find me at…
Facebook Pinterest Twitter Hometalk Subscribe Email
Enter your email to have Plate Addict's blog posts delivered Delivered by FeedBurner
Follow on Bloglovin

15 comments:

  1. Wow! What a lucky duck you are. I also love Quimper.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You must have been so excited when you found it on the shelf!! What a lovely piece of Quimper and worth so much! Just so happy for you. I love my few little 'souvenirs' of Paris and my Quimper finds.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so happy you found it! How exciting and now you can add it to your sweet collection :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my gosh so happy for you. I sure would have loved to have been there and seen your face when you spied this. It wasn’t meant to be!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have only recently discovered my love for all things Quimper. I only have 3 items, but they hold a special place in my hutch. I know I could go on-line and find more, but I absolutely love the thrill of "the hunt" when I am thrifting or antiquing! You truly scored when you found your latest piece! Bravo to you! I love the hand warmer you found......I would love to find something that unique. Happy Thrifting!!! Rosie @ The Magic Hutch

    ReplyDelete
  6. WOW - love those finds at thrift stores! Such pretty pottery, too. Nice collection!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Doesn't it feel so good to find these great things as a thrifter. Makes it so good to know you are good at something we love to do.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Debbie, you indeed found a treasure. I've collected these little snuff pieces for many years, mostly finding them in France. They are quite pricey, so $10 is an unbelievable price. It was just waiting there for you to find it. I'm thrilled for you. You have a great eye!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great find! Not just because of the value but because it's so perfect for you. A wonderful addition to your collection. Thrifting really is the best!

    ReplyDelete
  10. So very happy that you found that precious gem! If anyone deserved to find it, it is you!!!! Yes, the sentiment was a little sad - especially during Holy Week! But it is perfect! Enjoy!!! 💙💛💙💛💙

    ReplyDelete
  11. Looks like it's for picking up sticks.
    And hi, from Portugal 🇵🇹.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I must have missed this post back in the Spring, so I'm late commenting. I recall a similar piece at my grandparent's house back in the late 40s. They were both born in the late 1800s, and my grandfather was a smoker, so it may have been very common to have back then to hold his snuff. I remember it because I loved books and thought it was just a little porcelain book. Wish someone had kept it as a family heriloom, but I'm sure it's been gone a long time. With 35 grandchildren, it probably was broken long ago.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment! I appreciate my wonderful readers!... Debbie