vintage

Vintage thingummyjigs

I have two completely different items to show off this week.

The first item I’m very proud of. Can you guess what it is?

I found it in a local charity shop for pennies. My husband hates it so won’t let me have it on display but I love it. I didn’t know what its’ purpose was until I saw one on Eastenders. Dot Cotton had one in her kitchen and it is a kitsch string dispenser! When I have the perfect 1950s kitchen I will have it on display.

The second item I need your help with.

I fell in love with this little item when I saw it in an antique shop and had to have it but I don’t know anything about it! I can’t identify what it’s made from, how old it is or what it was for. It measures about 10cm x 7cm. The top of the inside of the plant has been hollowed out, so perhaps something could be stored in it?

If you have any ideas I would love to hear them.

 

Iโ€™m linking up withย Flea Market Finds, Magpie Monday and Thrift Share Monday โ€“ please follow the links for more lovely vintage discoveries.

29 Comments

  • Reply
    Jenn
    May 22, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    Love the cat, even though it is a bit creepy. I would TOTALLY use it for kitchen string…or for dental floss. I dunno.

    • Reply
      jenny
      May 22, 2011 at 10:25 pm

      I love the idea of using it for dental floss! I think that would totally freak out my husband ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply
    Karlyn Jackson
    May 22, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    oh the things people think of. My only guess for the second lovely would be a vase of sorts but I do love the string dispenser.

  • Reply
    max
    May 23, 2011 at 1:54 am

    LOVE the cat, you must sneak her out into the house somewhere!

  • Reply
    woolf
    May 23, 2011 at 6:14 am

    hooray for dot, throwing up answers, besides the usual la-di-dah… ๐Ÿ˜‰
    and i can see, i think, the fascination for second item. could you just look at it, and that’s it? because that might be enough. it is actually stunning!
    (is it ivory, you think?)
    nโ™ฅ

  • Reply
    Mama Syder
    May 23, 2011 at 8:02 am

    Hahaha…love your string thingy…sooooo Kitsch!

  • Reply
    Sir Thrift-A-Lot
    May 23, 2011 at 8:05 am

    lol @ using it for dental floss.

    cat thing rocks, awesome find!

    โ™ฅ Sir Thrift-A-Lot

  • Reply
    Liz Burton
    May 23, 2011 at 8:57 am

    The string holder is great! Do you knit? You could use it for wool too :0)

    • Reply
      jenny
      May 23, 2011 at 10:01 am

      I have plenty of vintage ricrac, I’m liking the idea of it spewing some of that!

  • Reply
    Kathryn
    May 23, 2011 at 10:53 am

    I love the cat! It’s such a cool colour. I don’t think many of our husbands/partners really ‘get’ our love of thrifting. Hey if it’s good enough for Dot…

  • Reply
    Faith Hope and Charity Shopping
    May 23, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    Excellent finds! A ric-rac cat is a great idea – anything Dot Cotton has is good with me!

    I wondered if the lady was ivory too, and assumed a vase, but maybe you could keep crochet hooks or something similar in it?

    You can absolutely join the swap – I’m still working it all out, it’s a spreadsheet nightmare at the moment!

  • Reply
    ChrisTea And Cakes
    May 23, 2011 at 12:49 pm

    Loving that string cat! No idea what the other item might be for, can only think it might be a little vase for a single stem that an admirer might have picked for you on a romantic walk. x

  • Reply
    Mel (MilkChic)
    May 23, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    I didn’t like the cat at all until I knew it was a string dispenser. Now I want one too. I love impractical looking practical things! The lady is rather glamorous but afraid I can’t help with identifying her. Lovely find though.

  • Reply
    Jules
    May 23, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    I absolutely love the cat…..have a thing for kitsch 50’s stuff! As for the other item I reckon it might be for matches? or toothpics? it’s definitely a cool curio ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply
    Sherri S.
    May 23, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    Adore the string dispenser! Those pesky husbands…(just kidding–sort of!).

  • Reply
    Karen Jones
    May 23, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    I love kitch things but cats ….. Nooo, sorry, in agreement with hubby on this one : ( xxx
    Love the lady, she looks asian or maybe african ? Could that be an indigenous plant with some significance ? Hope you find out. WOuld love to know.

  • Reply
    Carole
    May 23, 2011 at 7:10 pm

    Oh what a fab string dispenser I love it…gonna keep my eyes open when watching Eastenders to see if I can spot Dot’s ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Sorry I don’t have a clue what the other thing is.

  • Reply
    Crystal Jigsaw
    May 23, 2011 at 7:29 pm

    The cat gives me the creeps, and that’s coming from me, lol. Love the other ornament though; is it ivory? Really attractive.

    CJ xx

  • Reply
    Caroline
    May 23, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    A string dispenser!! Who knew such a thing even existed! And it just goes to show how educational watching soaps can be, too!

  • Reply
    Molly
    May 24, 2011 at 12:36 am

    I would say the second item is definitely representing Africa, drawing on the (from 16thC) tradition of representing the (then) ‘Four Continents” as allegorical figures. Africa was commonly represented as a figure against a tree/plant with a scaly bark, such as in your figure, see some examples here:
    http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/12/allegory-of-continents.html

    Its hard to say any more, as I haven’t seen one like it. What does it feel like/sound like when tapped? (for the material)

  • Reply
    Laura
    May 24, 2011 at 6:58 am

    The lady/plant seems Hawaiian to me.

  • Reply
    Esther
    May 24, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    I don’t think I would’ve bought that cat, not my kind of find…
    As for the other thing, she reminds me of a cuban mulata, and the vase part looks like tobacco leaves. Could it be a cuban souvenir or maybe a match holder to light cigars?

  • Reply
    Esther
    May 24, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Oops, sorry! O.o My cat remark sounded harsh!
    It’s just that I wouldn’t have given it a second thought and would’ve missed it! ๐Ÿ™ My scanner isn’t set up for that kind of thing… ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Reply
    Edamommy
    May 24, 2011 at 10:20 pm

    I’d use the kitty in a heartbeat, and my husband would have no room to talk. You should see the … “lamp” he uses as a bedside lamp – it’s a broken plaster-of-paris (American) football lamp he painted when he was a kid, with a ratty burlap shade. I’d be fine with the lamp in another setting but between you and me the thing was pretty … um … hmm … I’ll go with old … when we got married. Now it’s even worse – he broke it in a move a while back – glued it back together, covered the seams in black and green paint. I’m currently fighting the good fight with a collection of thin scarves draped over it. o.0

    The other item looks like a bud vase to me – I swear McCoy makes one that looks a lot like that, but I did find this one – – that reminds me of it – what do you think?!

    • Reply
      jenny
      May 24, 2011 at 10:35 pm

      Thanks for your reply. The vase you found is spooky – perhaps the design was quite common?
      I’m surprised your husband’s lamp ‘survived’ the move! I always use moving as an excuse for my husband’s toys to go missing ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply
    kristen
    June 6, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    That appears to be a Holt Howard string dispenser! They were made between 1958-9, and in mint condition can be rather valuable. I’ve seen them online for anywhere between $50-100.

    To me, your pretty vase looks a bit too smooth and stylized to be an ivory carving. There are, however, TONS of fake ivory pieces out there that almost look like the real thing. It looks a bit 30s-40s to me, maybe with a bit of a Polynesian vibe? I’ll be keen to hear what the material feels like, how heavy it is, etc. I’m sure someone out there know more about it than I!

    • Reply
      jenny
      June 6, 2011 at 10:29 pm

      Thanks so much for helping to identify it properly. I had a quick google and found the bow on the side is meant for scissors!

  • Reply
    Benita Merrill
    December 9, 2011 at 8:46 am

    That appears to be a Holt Howard string dispenser! I dunno. Do you knit? What does it feel like/sound like when tapped?

  • Reply
    Leann Ball
    February 19, 2012 at 3:38 am

    As for the other thing, she reminds me of a cuban mulata, and the vase part looks like tobacco leaves. I wondered if the lady was ivory too, and assumed a vase, but maybe you could keep crochet hooks or something similar in it? Now I want one too.

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