Saturday, March 17, 2012

Hunted::Gathered: 03/17/12

Phewy! This weekend's rain is surely starting to make up for our dry winter here in SoCal. The boy had been telling me all week to get all of my "things" done before the weekend. Did I listen? Sort of. One of my things was to go on my usual thrift run which I did mid-week. Unfortunately I did not find much. Local thrifts have been low on goodies that I'd like to get my hands on. However, estate and rummage sales have been pretty great. Not only that but sometimes their prices are even better!


This week I couldn't resist this fun leather? clutch. It is in great shape and I love the brass detailing. It was a bit spendy for this type of item, but the estate sale lady said it was leather. It is supple, and I had a feeling that it was leather but I don't know if there are any tricks to help determine that. Does anyone have any tips?


I've been having luck with Kokeshi's lately. This one is quite large and is a Sakunami Kokeshi. This is the first one I've found that has beads inside and so it rattles. As I was reading up on them I learned that Kokeshi's were originally children's rattles but are now mainly souvenir items.


This is another Kokeshi that I found at the same rummage sale. Isn't he cute! He's the first boy in my little Kokeshi clan. I couldn't resist taking a picture of both of them together so that you could get an idea of the scale of the large one. I would say the boy is about 6" tall so you can just imagine how HUGE the other one is.


This find was actually from a thrift store. They are a sugar and creamer set in the Prestige design by Eva Zeisel for Federal Glass. I didn't realize how many pieces are missing from this set until I saw this page. I'm going to have to go back and see if the remaining pieces were orphaned at the thrift.


Lastly, I couldn't believe my eyes! These pieces were at a local estate sale. I recognized the bowls immediately because it is one of my look-for items. I have an Eva Zeisel service in white that I found at a thriftstore years ago. I've been slowly adding to it whenever an item pops up locally. I did not have any of these pieces so I was extremely excited. They are in great shape too! There were other pieces of white dinnerware that were not Zeisel so I was unsure if the ladle was a Hallcraft piece. I bought it anyway because I recently picked up a gravy boat in the Harlequin pattern and I figured it couldn't hurt. When I did some research at home I learned that the ladle is also from her Hallcraft line. YES! They often get lost in the shuffle because they are not marked. I assume that due to this they are quite expensive, even for being such a small piece. I'm beyond ecstatic about finding it because I don't see myself ever paying retail for these pieces because I'm awfully cheap.

I have some aces up my sleeve that I may share with you this week. As a teaser I'll let you know that it involves Glenn of California. :)

So... what did you find this week? I'll be linking up with the lovely ladies Sophie and Selena.

36 comments:

  1. The Kokeshi dolls are my fave. I have found a single one but my sister-inlaw has gifted me two thrifted ones (she rocks). The Eva Zeisel is right up my alley... I learn so much from your finds thank you :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the kokeshi dolls really are something! lucky you with the lovely sister-n-law :)

      Delete
  2. Gorgeous ladle! Everything would taste so much better being spooned out by that piece. Do you have the heart to use them, or are they safely tucked away?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh tucked away... in one of my kitchen cabinets though :) Ready to be used when I trust the boy not to break them!

      Delete
  3. Great haul! The rummage sales have started here too and they've been bursting with great vintage. I'm a fan of Kokeshi dolls and used to find them regularly when I lived in LA-- sadly they're pretty scarce here in Chicago. I am in awe of your giant kokeshi, what a neat find!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I almost missed it despite it's size. I was skimming at a much shorter level, hehe.
      I'm very excited for rummage sales, they're awesome!

      Delete
  4. great finds The thrifts here are pretty much empty too Rummage sales are not running here yet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder why the thrifts have been so dry lately... do you have estate sales in your area?

      Delete
  5. The Eva Zeisel wares are such a cool organic shape.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree 100%. There is something so nice and subtle about the curves in her pieces.

      Delete
  6. awesome finds! Love that clutch. Sometimes it's hard to tell. If it's backing feels like suede it's totally leather. If it's fabric...maybe not. Vinyl has a soft backing. If you haven't smelled...smell it. Leather has that leather smell. Also, if it's supple, bends easily...probably leather. It's a beauty for sure and I would bet it's leather.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tips!
      I still haven't figured it out because it is lined with some kind of wipe-able fabric and the smell, well, it smells 'vintage'. haha. I am kind of able to tell through the edges and I *think* it is leather.

      Delete
  7. I love the Kokeshi dolls! I have never seen any vintage ones for sale where I live. Great find with the Zeisel pieces too, there's nothing better than finding that special something you've been hunting for for ages (especially when it turns out to be cheap too!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know! It keeps me excited for the hunt :) Little by little I'll make my way towards a complete set. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. That's an enormous Kokeshi, looks like it's got some age to it too. My mom visited one of the towns in Northern Japan that's pretty famous for them.. I need to dig out the pic she sent and show you, it's unreal! Great find on the Zeisel spoon too, I've got to remember to keep an eye for that since it's unmarked.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to see the pic! I saw some online while researching and couldn't believe the variations in size! As for the Zeisel spoon, look out for a slight furl, very spout-like on the edge.

      Delete
  9. so that's what they are called, kokeshis. i have a couple but i never knew they were something quite sought after and that they came in lots of varieties. the 2 you found are great, the tall one is sensational. well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks! kokeshis are so fun and the amount of variety is really something!

      Delete
  10. That Kokeshi is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. As ever, I always learn something from your posts! Great finds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad to hear it! We're all here to learn something from each other and make ourselves better pickers!

      Delete
  12. Great finds! You sure have the best of luck with Zeisel pieces. My best find from Hallcraft was a coffeepot, gravy boat and creamer in black satin, all unmarked due to the color so it was priced very low at a local antique mall...just goes to show, one must always educate one's self to ge the best deals!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you've had some luck with Zeisel yourself, especially to find her black pieces! Picking education goes such a long way, and liking simple white dinnerware has helped me quite a bit with her pieces!

      Delete
  13. Replies
    1. Thanks, it really caught my eye and the condition was really good too!

      Delete
  14. Oooohhhh! Drooling over the leather clutch! Great color & design!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree! I love the brass detailing and the color is fantastic!

      Delete
  15. Truly amazing finds. I didn't know that Kokeshi dolls were originally rattles. Love the clutch as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't either and found it odd that my large kokeshi rattled! haha. Then when I was researching it I read about it... obviously they used to be small enough for babies to carry around :)

      Delete
  16. Awesome finds! Love the EZ pieces. I'm still learning so i hope I don't ever miss them at the thrifts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, I can guarantee that you'll probably miss some pieces. I know I have in the past! It's inevitable, but you will undoubtedly catch some and when you do it will be amazing!

      Delete
  17. such great finds - don't you love it when you find a treasure like your bowls? also love that kokeshi rattle. will have to look for those in my travels. great blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do love finding treasures like my bowls! My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw them and I walked towards them as if in a trance! Out of habit I still look for a marking on the bottom despite knowing exactly what they were...
      As for the kokeshis, I bought one for my niece on a trip to Japan because I loved them so much. I had never seen them before and thought they were to die for...

      Delete
  18. Wow, awesome treasures! Came by way of Apron Thrift Girl so am new to your blog ... love it! Will be back! BTW, we're "neighbors" as I'm in the Inland Empire too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How funny! We've probably been in a thrift store/ estate sale at the same time without knowing...

      Delete