For the love of Old Coppers: NOT Retired Policemen!

I have always loved copper items, the warm glow, the feel of the metal, they just make me smile. So it was a natural to add them to our ‘retro’ kitchen when it came time to make changes.

The first item I found was this wonderful old chafing dish! The pattern of flowers on the lid is very art nouveau and it even has the original sterno dish. My younger daughter was at our house for a partyand teased me about it. She asked if I had prepared the meatballs in it! First of all, hubby is the cook in the family, and secondly, it is not something I’d use for food preparation, not when it has a patent date of April 1904! It has a lot of character and sits atop our ‘work bench island.’

My love of teapots brought me to purchase this oldie. It has a wooden handle, and fantastic patina. It is a stand-alone piece, I appreciate it just sitting on the counter. It probably served a purpose for a long time and now it can just rest comfortably and be appreciated.

Another fine item is this old teapot – it has a ‘tippable’ part, so you can keep the kettle in the stand and pour out the tea into the cup. How cute is that?

This small pitcher was found at a “boot sale” on our recent trip to England. That is like a flea market in the USA because they would open up the ‘boots’ of their cars (trunks) and just sell their wares in a field. It was not very expensive, but the work on it is charming and it just ‘fits in!’

We also have a large copper fireplace fireback or fender in our kitchen. It’s above the stove, between the cabinets. It has a lovely pattern of a chafing dish with a flame and a bow too.

My hubby’s favorite is this antique sieve. It is most likely hand-pierced and we can’t even imagine how long it might have taken to make all these teeny-tiny holes. It hangs proudly on our wall.

We also have a ’strainer’ which we use as a fruit bowl on the counter. It is probably not as old as our other items, but it serves a purpose and also is quite a delight.

While it is true that most of the items in the kitchen and throughout the house are at very least “vintage”, and many are true antiques, this piece is only 15 years old. We found it at a flea market this summer and the lady said her mom had spent $120 for it.

She bought it at a local art fair held on church grounds. Her styles recently changed and decided to sell it. I scooped it up for the measly $5 price tag and display it proudly on the kitchen wall. Somehow, it blends right in – the glass sparkles, the copper glows, what could be wrong with that?

We have a wonderful book from Mary Frank Gaston called “Antique Brass and Copper.” You’ll find some incredible pieces inside! (Look closely at the cover and you’ll see our copper teapot!)

One of our favorites is a fireback with tinder boxes on the side that were made into seats. It features a dog and her pups in ‘high relief.”

We also found a coal box, copper on a wrought iron stand, with an art nouveau pattern of flames. Lots of other functional items including candle holders, a desk set with blotter holder, inkwell, pen tray, all nicely hammered. Another beauty is the chestnut roaster – fun by the fireplace on a cold night!

This super book also features a wonderful selection of molds, many from the 19^th century and in fantastic patterns. You’ll love the funnels, measures and all sorts of household items from years gone by. You should check out this book if you love old copper like I do.

I continue my search for other copper items but stay away from the very new or over-polished. You’ll note that I NEVER polish these old copper items. Perhaps others like them all shiny, but I like to think that they, like myself, have earned these little crevices, markings and stains –and old metal, like grandmothers, should be proud of their journey!

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