8 Feb
Retro thermos
I love the shape of this retro vacuum flask from Zojirushi – a Japanese company that started nearly 90 years ago with the development of the glass flask. There’s a fair amount of wear to the metal casing and the rubber stopper has yellowed with age, but the seal seems fine. Perfect for a stylish summer picnic!
Dimensions: 28cm tall x 13cm in diameter (at its widest)
Price: R120
3 Feb
Vintage Japanese skittle lamp
This is by far the coolest desk lamp I’ve ever seen! I challenge anyone to show me something more quirky – seriously. When my secret collector friend first showed it to me I was blown away – I think I swooned just a bit when I opened it up and saw it in action. It can sit three ways: closed in the shape of a skittle; sitting on its base with the hood of the light exposed; or turned upside down with access to the control dial. The last option is the correct way to use it as a functioning light. The control dial has a dimmer on it so that you can use it as soft mood lighting or as a bright light for reading. There’s some wear to the dial, and the plastic casing has some scratches here and there, but it’s so cool that I’m prepared to overlook a wee bit of damage. I’d be happy to re-design my house around this lamp – well not really, but pretty darn close. A winner of a lamp that’s looking for a worthy home.
Dimensions: 25cm tall x 10cm in diameter
Price: R450
12 Dec
15 Piece tea set
I can’t actually find any markings on this tea set, so I don’t know for certain that it’s Japanese, but looking at the size of the cups I’d say it’s a good guess. The cups are just a bit too small for salon tea, but they’d probably make pretty good espresso cups. I think that the set is porcelain – it seems too fine to me to be normal ceramic ware. The gold edging has worn off in places, but there are no chips or cracks to speak of. A very sweet tea set that’s saved from being a bit too twee by its kitsch gold finish.
Dimensions: Tea pot – 17cm tall (with lid on) x 9cm in diameter; Milk jug – 7.5cm tall x 5.5cm in diameter; Sugar bowl – 7cm tall (with lid on) x 8.5cm in diameter; Cups – 5.5cm tall x 6.5cm in diameter; Saucers – 12cm in diameter
Price: R220
24 Nov
Trivet and cheese board
Nothing like some ’70s style to get the day going! I’ve seen loads of these wooden cheese boards over the years, but not once have they had their original knife and fork with them, so I couldn’t really pass this complete set by. It’s Japanese, but I’m assuming it was made for the export market – I’m not sure how into their cheeses the Japanese are? The board’s in reasonable nick, but you can see bits of the glue that have been used to apply the tile. The trivet, or pot stand, is really quite sweet. There are tiny specks of white paint on the tile, and the varnish on the wood was applied a bit hapahzardly, but it’s still a cool looking and practical item.
Dimensions: Trivet – 17cm across x 1cm high ; Cheese board -28cm long x 17.5cm wide x 2cm high
Price: Trivet – R40; Cheese board – R60
2 Nov
Vintage cocktail shaker & ice bucket
I am head over heels in love with this cocktail shaker! It’s one of the most unusual and coolest looking shakers I’ve ever come across. I love the combination of pink and gold, topped with the chrome lid which saves it from being a bit too pretty by giving it a bit of a masculine edge. I didn’t think my boyfriend would like the cocktail shaker that much (it is pink after all), but he was super impressed with the quality – the lid has a breather, which apparently means that it will pour really nicely. I have to admit that I’m not as enamoured with the ice bucket, which has seen better days, but they were sold to me as set, so I think it’s only right that they stay together. A beautiful duo that is sure to illlicit a bit of jealousy from your friends at your next drinks party.
Dimensions: Cocktail shaker -24cm tall x 9cm in diameter (at its widest); Ice bucket – 13cm tall x 11cm in diameter (at its widest)
Price: R250 for the set
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