![So this room is in a very unfinished state, but I took this photo with my cell phone (and then made it vintage-y with Picnik) because I couldn’t wait to show off my new miniature porcelain French poodle. I got it for a dollar at a junk shop this past weekend. It’s a piece of Wade Whimsies, made in England, and packaged exclusively in boxes of Red Rose Tea in the 1950s - 60s. I have always wanted a life size ceramic dog statue, and as of right now, this is the closest I get. Pretty neat, right?
Brief background of influences for this bathroom: 1950’s Fanciful Colonial Revival; Kitsch; Dark Dark Dark Brown Wood; The History of The Pineapple As A Design Motif*; This Blog; This Book
* Full post on the subject coming soon but for now:
Pineapples and Colonial AmericaAcross the ocean, the pineapple took on other symbolic meanings in England’s American colonies. The colonies were then a land of small, primitive towns and settlements where homes served as the hubs of most community activity. Visiting was the primary means of entertainment, cultural intercourse and news dissemination. The concept of hospitality—the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into the home—was a central element of the society’s daily emotional life.
While fruits in general—fresh, dried, candied and jellied—were the major attractions of the community’s appetite and dining practices, the pineapple was the true celebrity. Its rarity, expense, reputation and striking visual attractiveness made it the ultimate exotic fruit. It was the pineapple that came to literally crown the most important feasts: often held aloft on special pedestals as the pinnacle of the table’s central food mound.
In this manner, the fruit which was the visual keystone of the feast naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of the social events themselves; the image of the pineapple coming to express the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and family affection inherent to such gracious home gatherings. [source]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l8198gPVdA1qzvxbko1_400.jpg)
So this room is in a very unfinished state, but I took this photo with my cell phone (and then made it vintage-y with Picnik) because I couldn’t wait to show off my new miniature porcelain French poodle. I got it for a dollar at a junk shop this past weekend. It’s a piece of Wade Whimsies, made in England, and packaged exclusively in boxes of Red Rose Tea in the 1950s - 60s. I have always wanted a life size ceramic dog statue, and as of right now, this is the closest I get. Pretty neat, right?
Brief background of influences for this bathroom:
1950’s Fanciful Colonial Revival; Kitsch; Dark Dark Dark Brown Wood; The History of The Pineapple As A Design Motif*; This Blog; This Book
* Full post on the subject coming soon but for now:
Pineapples and Colonial America
Across the ocean, the pineapple took on other symbolic meanings in England’s American colonies. The colonies were then a land of small, primitive towns and settlements where homes served as the hubs of most community activity. Visiting was the primary means of entertainment, cultural intercourse and news dissemination. The concept of hospitality—the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into the home—was a central element of the society’s daily emotional life.While fruits in general—fresh, dried, candied and jellied—were the major attractions of the community’s appetite and dining practices, the pineapple was the true celebrity. Its rarity, expense, reputation and striking visual attractiveness made it the ultimate exotic fruit. It was the pineapple that came to literally crown the most important feasts: often held aloft on special pedestals as the pinnacle of the table’s central food mound.
In this manner, the fruit which was the visual keystone of the feast naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of the social events themselves; the image of the pineapple coming to express the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and family affection inherent to such gracious home gatherings. [source]
