Antique & Mini Top Hats

Oh my, how I love all things antique! There’s this one antique shop near city center where I like to go. Last time I walked by it, I saw a beautiful wooden ink bottle holder with a glass ink bottle set in the middle of it and wooden ink pen in front of it. Unfortunately the antique shop was already closed so I called there on the next day and asked the owner (a very nice woman who likes to talk) to put it aside. She said she would hold it to the next day still on display but she would not sell it to anyone else. When I went there on the next day the owner said I was very smart to call her because a young man had come to ask for the price of the ink bottle holder and pen. The pen was sold separately but it was very affordable and seemed unused. I will always receive a history lesson on whatever I’m buying there – the woman told the wooden ink bottle holder was made of apple tree and was made in the turning of 1800’s and 1900’s and that the ink bottle itself was made of crystal. Unfortunately, I didn’t have more time to chat with her or look around but if I would have had, I would have been all over the shop digging through old photographs and medicine bottles.

Here’s the ink bottle holder, crystal ink bottle and ink pen:

The brim on the bottle is tarnished over its one-hundred-year existence and I love it. First I thought of filling it with black ink and actually use it but now when I’m thinking of it, I won’t – I will put it in my vitrine and when I have a big wooden writing desk one day, I will display it on it.

Underneath the crystal ink bottle, on the wood is carved a handmade Russian seal. The owner of the antique shop couldn’t read it and neither can I but I think it’s great!

Speaking of getting lost in antique shops... I found a new one today. It was filled old bird cages, photos, books, skulls (I don’t particularly like them because I’m vegetarian and I can not know how they are ended up in the shelves of a store – through cruelty or by natural death?)... And today happened what always seems to happen when I step into an antique store; something got my eye. This time it was old binoculars which was absolutely gorgeous and the price could still be negotiated. I think they are kind of steampunk-ish, don’t you think? And the best part? They actually do work! Shame I didn’t notice to ask how old they were...

And what would this entry be without mini top hats, I promised in the title?

I found a little top hat on the front, with a feather (faux I think and hope!) from a flea market we just decided to go and see what it was like. I added it to my (still) very small “collection” of mini top hats...

Here’s my other two mini top hats:

And here’s my tiny “collection” so far:

This is it for this time... I will post more of my flea market findings and other findings on my next post, if you’re interested. They all just didn’t fit in this post.