More Copper Enameling, Home Décor

My last blog covered my recent accumulation (does that sound better than collection?) of copper enameled jewelry. I have grown to appreciate these works of art over the past few years and continue to hunt them down. But as you probably know, these are not just for wearing; they make truly lovely display items as well.

For example, a recent yard sale netted me this sweet copper enameled plate. It has a gorgeous bird on it and bright red flowers on the tree.  As a lover of birds, I must say, it is one of my favorite pieces and resides in our sunroom. When I purchase things for myself, that is to say, those things I plan to keep, I don’t usually care about the underside. I just know what I like and if it is not marked, it does not seem to matter. (This is a rare thing with antique sellers who turn almost everything upside down to determine maker, year and country of origin.) But this one does have an added bonus. It is stamped “Original Creation by Kralage of Holland.”

Since I have a lot of ’sea creatures’ in the same room, I searched the internet for other copper enameled pieces to add. The difference was that these had to have a ‘water theme.’ My first find was this turquoise blue plate with seagulls in the air. It will be appreciated by our dear friends who chide us constantly upon our return from our trips south. In the early years, we took SO many pictures of seagulls, they’d always laugh at us (but no more, we are into bigger birds.)

Another sweet seaside piece is this plate with the shell. It has such beautiful coloring and lots of dimension. This was is from Annemarie Davidson of Sierra Madra, California. We’ve seen other pieces by her and they are always top-notch.

And what lover of sea critters could pass up this little bowl with fish? Colors are great and the seaweed and eyes on the fish are nicely raised. This one has a signature by the artist “Kayser.” We think it is an older one since the coloring and the feel of it make you think ‘retro.’

The newest one in my ‘accumulation’ (that does sound better!) is this frog on a tree branch. This was purchased at a recent estate sale, hidden in the back of a dresser drawer! We were told the old gent actually made it and then it was framed. The frog has such expression and its eyes are ‘bugged out’ too. My husband thought it was ‘to sell’, but it has been resting quietly on my shelf for a few months and he’ll probably never notice.

One of the best things about collecting these is that they are readily available AND not very expensive. I have not paid over $20 for any of them. They do brighten a room and have more life to them than most pieces. You might consider adding a copper enameled piece in your decorating scheme; they are compliment magnets!