#1052 This is a one of the curiosities I came across and had to get it just to try to identify it. I wondered what it could be until I found others close to it. It looks like it is Lapland / Saami art as described here or here. I had wondered about the building in the illustration and at first thought the carving was Indonesian and the subject an Indonesian fishing village. Now I see this is from Lapland. They have treehouse cabins for hunting and store houses.
#1091 These weather owls once had coatings that changed colour with the weather. I do not think this does now but it is an interesting owl collectible. It is 9 x 4.5 x 4 cm.
#1145 I am not sure what this fixed blade knife was supposed to be used for. My father had one and used it to clean his pipe but I doubt this is what this was supposed to be for. It seems very old. It has a shell handle that has been chipped over the years giving it additional character. It is 13 cm long including the handle.
#1147 This opener just recently started being made again it was that good. Great for collectors or people who just want to use something old and interesting. It is 9 x 4 cm.
#1172 This carving may be the stuff of both nightmares and conversations. He might inspire you to get a head in life. Underneath that cloth he is also anatomically correct. I found these at several hundred dollars each. I will be more modest. He is 16 cm tall so maybe he won’t be too scary.
#1424 The stone for these goblets was mined in the Himalayas. You can see life forms millions of years old as you drink your wine. Perhaps a little sobering when you thin about it. they measure 7 x 10 cm.
#1485 This is an unusual communist memorabilia box made by hand carved in stone. It has even lasted longer than the Soviet Union. It is an interesting conversation piece or a humorous gift. It is 11 x 7 x 4 cm. I am not sure where it was made. It could even be Chinese as they used the same iconography. I have found nothing like this to compare it to.
#1486 This is a small Persian camel bone box with original hand-done painting on it. I have marked it down as there is some damage to the miniature painting but it is still very interesting and attractive. Camel bone boxes are an art form together with miniature painting in Iran and go for quite high prices. This one measures 5 x 5 x 3 cm.
#1487 This is another Persian miniature box with hand painted image. These are tiny boxes so just imagine what is required to paint these intricate images on them. Camel bone boxes are an art form together with miniature painting in Iran and go for quite high prices. This one measures 5 x 5 x 2 cm.
#1491 I do not know what this knife was used for but it is very old. I got it in a large lot of antique items about 30 years ago at auction and never figured out what it was for. IT is a real curiosity! The blade is quite rusted. It measures 21 x 3 cm.
#1556 Marlestone is a material made by crushing minerals and forming them into shapes. The plate measures 15.5 x 2 cm.
#1492 This radio was made by Fleetwood in Montreal in the 1950s. It is a tube radio that works. Fleetwood used to be Electrical Products Mfg. It is a piece of Canadian manufacturing history.
#1493 A Pigmyphone was a child’s toy gramophone made by Bing before the 1st World War. The buttons are mostly metallic vintage coat and specialty buttons. Antique tin collectors – this is a rare one that sells without the buttons for about $40!
#1494 Another old tin worth more than I am asking – even without any buttons.
#1495 This is a chart showing world cultures through time so you can see what was going on in each place at the same time. It is an amazing wall art for those interested in world history and cultures or a student of history. It is from a Japanese publisher so is in English and Japanese as well as Chinese. The English is there so you do not need to read any other language. Sealed in new condition. Great gift for a history buff or student or one interested in world cultures. 39 x 110 cm.
Curiosities
I have used this heading to capture items I think are strange or in some cases do not know exactly what they are. I also will put unusual things here that do not have a category of their own. I hope you will find conversation pieces here that not only look interesting but might even stimulate a mystery or a story.