Salt Pepper Shakers

Last week I went to a rummage sale. Anyone who knows me is now saying “gee, that’s hard to imagine.” Boy, they sure can get sarcastic. But then, admittedly, I do go quite often.

I came across one of the neatest salt and pepper shaker sets ever! It is very ‘art deco’ and features a bell hop! He is made of metal and wood and he is carrying a pair of glass shakers (most likely meant to resemble luggage.) Now while it is true that I have several collections going, salt and pepper shakers are not one of them. But this one was so darn charming. I ran to my s&p “Bible” is Salt & Pepper by Gene Florence and Published by Collector Books. I was unable to find the exact one but there were some really unique examples inside. They gave me ‘food for thought’ if you’ll forgive the pun.

There were some neat advertising ones such as the Campbell’s soup kids, the Tappan (range) chefs, Millie and Willie, penguins for Kool Cigarettes and a large group representing Mr. Peanut by Planters. Certainly conversation pieces on any table.

I also discovered some adorable animals, and especially liked the ‘huggers’ which included bears by Van Tellingen, and ‘green huggers’ marked Japan. Again, some cuties for your dining pleasure.

There were also ‘jungle animals’, including giraffes with necks that were intertwined, and monkeys hanging from a tree. Awww!

And of course, the seasonal shakers. Mr. & Mrs. Claus, Christmas Trees, Snowman and Tree and the like. Even one with a pair of gingerbread cookies!

Many of these make good sense and are delightful ways to serve your best guests. But then I came across a section called “anthromorphic” and found rather unusual characters. The folks with teapot-heads are almost scary. And those veggies with distorted faces, yikes!

And check out the “appliance section.” Did folks really sprinkle spices onto their food with a wash machine and dryer or TV and stand?

I also found a pair of carpet sweepers, which I understand would usually contain dust bunnies, doesn’t that sound yummy?

You might want to rethink using these shakers when Great Aunt Leona and Great Uncle Harry come to visit. It’s hard to believe she would not frown upon her hubby gleefully using these boobs to enhance his food! And he’d probably handle them a lot longer than a ‘hugger-bear’ set.

But even those are surpassed. Consider using this pair of “commodes” at the table. Pass the toilet please, I need to put some contents on my spaghetti!

I know there are a lot of collectors out there moaning and saying these are for display only. But did the original makers intend that or were these just ‘for fun’ at a table? In any case, I enjoyed my perusal of the book and will keep my eyes open for even more unusual sets.

I welcome hearing from any collector with a bizarre example, a pair that can ’spice up’ my blogs and your dinner table.

Every spring we have a wonderful treat as we look out our kitchen window. We love birds and sometimes lament the cost of buying the seed, the continuous chore of filling up the feeders in the cold Wisconsin winters, and putting suet into the ‘cage’ with frozen fingers. But we do get some special rewards for our endeavors! We have an incredible visitor – an indigo bunting! Vibrant blue, small and cheerful, he makes us smile and we always vie for which of us will spot him first. He is our ‘bluebird of happiness’, you might say!

But long before he came along, I have loved blue birds. I have them in the kitchen, on old china pieces, on salt and pepper shakers, a creamer, a vase, and even a sentimental plate. My most recent treasure is a German, lustre canister set that is just covered with them! (This was a gift from dear hubby for our anniversary.)

As I glanced around at them this weekend, I realized they needed to be cleaned for anticipated guests and family. (Kitchen items do tend to get a bit ‘greasy’, even though I am constantly teased for not cooking a lot.) I began to wonder just why we call them ‘bluebirds of happiness’ and if this was a fairly new thought process. So, using one of my favorite tools, I “Googled” those words “Blue Bird of Happiness” and ‘voila’, I received the requested information and learned a lot.

It turns out that to many Native American tribes, the bluebird was sacred. According to the Cochiti tribe, the firstborn son of Sun was named Bluebird. The Navajo hold the Mountain Bluebird to be a great spirit in animal form and associate it with the rising sun. Their Bluebird song is still used in social settings and performed in the 9-day Ye’iibicheii Winter Nightway Ceremony.

I also learned that a popular song by Jan Peerce and Art Mooney and his orchestra called “Bluebird of Happiness” was recorded in 1948 and introduced at the Radio City Music Hall. There was also a stage play called “The Blue Bird” by Maurice Maeterlick in 1908. It was made into several films throughout the 20^th century, including the 1940 original starring Shirley Temple.

But the mythology of the bluebird actually goes back a lot farther. For example, in Europe, a noted fairy tale is called “L’Oiseau Bleu” (The Blue Bird) by Madame d’Aulnoy (1650-1705) and it seems to be the root of modern accounts of bluebird symbology and myth. In this tale, King Charming is transformed into a bluebird, who is the love interest of the younger princess Fiordelisa and aids her through her trials.

In magical symbology, bluebirds are used to represent confidence in the positive aspect and egotism in the negative. A dead bluebird is a symbol of disillusionment, or the loss of innocence, and of transformation from the younger and naïve to the older and wiser.

Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar beliefs. It is the most universally accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, and the renewal of spring! Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird.

So I am not alone in my thinking. I will wear my bird pins and earrings regularly, display my blue birds around the house and whistle a cheerful song! How big is your bluebird collection?