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! :-)

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