Weekly Photo Challenge: Objects & Oddities

Published by

Nova

February 6, 2014

I collect a strange mixture of objects and ephemera: vintage and antique tea tins (especially WWII era, preferably Meinl & some Russian brands), watercolor paintings of circus freaks, vintage and antique illustrated copies of Arabian Nights Entertainments and related books, porcelain from West Germany and Czechoslovakia, vintage and antique Asian jewelry boxes, black & white photographs of servicemen from any army, and odd cultural bits and pieces that I feel particularly drawn to, like a painted brass camel from the 1930s, a Polish mid-century mod wooden St. Francis figure, and now my latest addition, this 1940’s-era Chinese papier-mache bobble head Budai figure.

He was on Etsy, priced at a very appealing $8. He looked so cheery and fetching online, and I happen to love papier-mache items. I just knew he needed to come home to live at my house…or really, to live on my desk at work. He definitely livens the place up a bit, and as his character represents contentment and a mindful understanding of plenitude, I’m very happy to share my space with him.

6 responses to “Weekly Photo Challenge: Objects & Oddities”

litadoolan

February 7, 2014

Fascinating stories about these unusual objects. Makes me want to have a closer look on Etsy to find something great!

Reply
1. compassandquill
  
  February 7, 2014
  
  It always surprises me to see the monetary values that people place on random objects. It really is “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
  
  Reply
wisemonkeysabroad

February 12, 2014

Wow – so cute! We’ve never used etsy before… but we collect three wise monkeys so maybe we can find novel versions of them on there too….

Reply
1. compassandquill
  
  February 12, 2014
  
  It’s a great place to find deals, if you have a little time. There’s a handy way to search for just vintage, vs. handmade that should be helpful for you. I love the 3 wise monkeys a lot, too. In college, my two best friends and I always joked that I was “speak no” (I’m pretty quiet in person, and I tend to be nice), and they, of course, were the other two.
  
  Reply
sueslaght

February 13, 2014

How adorable is that? I love the little red cheeks. 🙂

Reply
1. Anna
  
  February 13, 2014
  
  Me too – he’s just so damn jolly that I can’t help but smile when I look up to see him nodding along during the work day!
  
  Reply

I’m Nova

I have no “personal brand.” I’m not a girl boss, I’m not an influencer, and I don’t aspire to be powerful, inspiring, or rich. I probably can’t teach you anything, and there’s a good chance that there’s nothing at all of interest or use to you here. This is just where I come to talk about the random bits and pieces that make up my quiet life as a sober woman in her 40s. I’m engaged to the love of my life, have six (yes, SIX) indoor pets, and spend a lot of time gardening and hunting for thrift treasures. I also study classical voice (I’m a lyric coloratura soprano) and am deeply interested in all things spiritual and paranormal. Right now I’m trying to recover from career burnout and even out my personal energy, but my eventual goal is to become a medium and shamanic healer, using music to remind humans of the things that actually matter: connection, community, and loving all living things as though they were our own children. I may or may not talk about all of these things here (and sometimes all at once). Welcome!

Compass & Quill