Estate Sale Picks and Shipments from France

We found some wonderful vintage treasure at an estate sale last weekend and some of my shipments from France are finally coming in!  They are so much fun to unpack.  Here is a sneak peek at some of the pieces that have recently arrived.

This has been the week for religious statues, I couldn’t believe how many we found on our picking trip as well as a few special ones that arrived in our French shipment.  Two of the Madonna’s are quite large and make quite a statement.  We found one that is also carved wood, which is a rarity.  Those don’t come along very often.

I love cherubs and we found some really cute ones on this trip.  This one is part of an old Victorian ink well.  It’s a pretty large size and would look amazing sitting on a desk or secretary.  It’s made of spelter and has the original finish.

I love the large French statue we found of mother and child.  It  has the most amazing colors from the original paint and it is also signed.    The Madonna and Christ Child came in from France and it’s in lovely muted colors.  The Sister Cabrini statue is a rare one as it stands on a round wood plinth with brass plaque, and she also still has the original glass dome.

This Our Lady of Victory statue is going to be a hard one for me to let go of.  She’s a storied piece with her flaky and shabby appearance.  She has layers of old paint and hues of underlying colors showing through here and there.  This depiction of Mary and the Christ Child are becoming quite hard to find, especially with this kind of finish, making her much sought after by collectors.  She will not last long once she is listed in Edith & Evelyn.

This fabulous French benetier and Sacred Heart ex voto arrived in some of our shipments from France.   The holy water font is covered in old petrol blue French velvet.  The sacred heart ex voto is a large one and has a wonderful vintage silk ribbon attached.   In case you aren’t familiar with what an ex voto is, here is a little history.  Ex-votos (from the Latin phrase ex-voto suscepto, meaning ‘from the vow made’) were – and still are – carried as devotional objects and to give thanks for granted wishes, prayers and intentions. Also know as Sacred Hearts, they can be traced to the 11th century. They gained popularity in the 17th century when a French nun named Marguerite-Marie Alacoque experienced visions of Jesus Christ, in which he spoke to her and showed her his heart, entwined with thorns and flames and surmounted by a cross. She devoted herself and her country to the veneration of his heart, and established a Sacred Heart feast day. The Sacred Heart became a popular emblem worn for protection against danger and disease. The antique ones are highly sought after and very collectible, sometimes difficult to find.   There are many reproductions on the market and even those can be quite pricey.  This one came directly from France and it is vintage.

We also found some French mustard pots, a vintage French cafe au lait bowl, and three fablous milk glass hands!

Trophies are always a score and this one is most unusual.

Love these antique French opera glasses.  I have quite a few in my own personal collection so these will definitely be going into the shop.

This little antique mantle clock will be hard for me to let go of.  Topped with a precious little cherub, it is made of spelter and very ornate with a gorgeous porcelain dial face.  I’m not even sure if it works, though I rarely care if they do.  For me, it’s the aged beauty in these old mantle clocks that call my name.

We were also able to find some great vintage books this time, some in French.  And I don’t normally gravitate toward the old shoe forms but I loved the graphics on this one so it came home with me.

If you see anything you are interested in purchasing, please send me a message through the blog or message our Facebook page.  Everything is going into our online store but it may take me several weeks to get it all listed since I am also doing this home renovation at the same time!  Thank you for visiting!  We love new friends, so please feel free to comment, like, share, and follow!

Blessings,

Cindy