Love of Lavender

Lavender, who doesn’t love it? This color is a symbol of femininity and beauty, it’s magical. A hopelessly romantic color, lavender is associated with elegance and grace. When I’m searching for antiques, I’ll admit beautiful pieces in the color lavender almost always go home with me. Today I’m sharing a little about the color and a few of our lavender antiques in our shop! For the Love of Lavender.

 

The color lavender is thought of as a grown up pink by most designers.  Historically, lavender is associated with vitality, spring time and youth.  Just as the flower that shares its name, the color lavender encourages calmness and tranquility, and is used in home decorating to invoke a relaxed and tranquil space.

The ancient Hebrews attributed holiness to lavender, using it in the ritual of anointing with oil. The Romans placed such a high value on lavender that a pound of the flowers sold for as much as a farmer’s entire monthly income. Christians used the lavender color as a symbol of Easter, of rebirth.

Lavender is uplifting, inspiring and optimistic. It’s no wonder that our lavender hued antiques are such a favorite!

 

 

I get lots and lots of emails from all our clients asking “when will you have more lavender for my collection?” And it’s no wonder, because lavender is such a gorgeous color.  Lavender antiques are a bit more rare to find, but when we do, oh! there is something special about them.

This  antique enameled glass powder jar of opalescent milk glass dates from the last quarter of the 1800’s. A soft lavender purple color, with three putti frolicking on clouds on the lid. It’s a petit wonder for your vanity!

 

 

Always beloved, the hand painted porcelains of long ago in lavender have quite a following! More often than not they feature the sweet violet. The most delicate hand painted antique French hand painted T & V Limoges demitasse cup & saucer features the little violets nestled in lush greenery on both the cup and saucer. It has the most amazing color Robin’s Egg Blue inside the cup, which makes this quite rare.

Hand painted violets cabinet plate with a romantic bouquet filled with purple lavender violets {the “secret” Victorian courtship flower meant to express faithfulness}. Signed by the artist, meticulously hand painted in the Limoges style by a very accomplished china painter, signed Jane Huntley. This stunning plate is not a mass produced one made by a factory but rather a one-of-a-kind work of art.

 

 

One of my personal favorite tea cup designs, there is something so soft and inviting in that lavender color. This tea cup is hand painted, made by Jackson and Gosling Ltd. in 1912-1915, at their Grosvenor Works, Longton, England. This exquisite bone china teacup has everything we adore, hand painted floral bouquets on the pristine white ground in pink, purple, blue, green, red, and yellow. Surely drinking Earl Grey out of this will lift anyone’s spirits?

 

 

 

Most of the antique colored lithographs sell immediately, they are so elegant. I can only imagine what this gown looked like in real life! {the actual lavender is more subdued than it shows here} Part of a collection I had to practically BEG to be able to purchase {!!} this color plate is from the French Couturier Fashion magazine La Femme Chic, printed in Paris, France in the very early 1900’s. Marketed toward the Paris elite, La Femme Chic, along with several others, was an influential magazine defining new trends in fashion during the the early part of the century.  There are still a few prints left, each one is a stunner. My clients have framed six or eight and hung them in their bedrooms…so beautiful!

 

 

Even antique lighting can benefit from lavender purple, such as these sconces I bought in France. This pair of antique French crystal wall sconces have gracious arms, with macaroni beading and colored cut crystals for extra elegance. Colors are dove grey and amethyst – lavender purple.

 

Lighting of another kind, imagine how thrilled I was to spot first this lavender candle holder and then this one at my favorite French dealer’s stand at the brocante! Lavender enameled pieces are scarcer than anything…to find two really made my day.

 

Many of our clients collect oyster plates. They range in price from a hundred to a few thousand dollars. The ones with lavender are more rare to acquire. {of course!}

 

This 19th century English majolica oyster plate is in the most desirable colors of aqua and lavender. The six-well glazed plate was made by S. Fielding & Co. Ltd., Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1878. Turquoise oyster wells surround a center condiment well, all on a molded bed of lavender purple coral or seaweed. The brown nautical rope border encircles the center well and the outer rim, giving this an extra pop of color. These plates are art, and clients hang them on their walls as such.

 

 

Antique Oyster Plate from Carlsbad, Austria, made by Marx & Gutherz in 1876. Beautifully made, this collectible plate has five wells for oysters and a central spiral well for lemon or butter. It has wonderfully molded shells and pearls, hand painted in gilt and sponged lavender purple luster.

 

 

Another majolica beauty, also in turquoise and lavender purple. this French asparagus plate is from the 1900’s. The design features overlapping asparagus and an artichoke well on the bottom for the traditional vinaigrette.

 

This little bathing beauty is slightly risque, but so charming, she’s from the early 1900’s. These art deco girls were so beloved as decorative art in the early twentieth century, until about the late 1930s. One of our clients has a whole bevvy of them in the master bathroom.

 

 

Transfer-ware remains a favorite to collect. This 19th century Staffordshire transfer-ware plate was made in Staffordshire, England in the late 1800’s. It features horse riders. Rare to find, this purple lavender color is called mulberry.  The equestrian central design features four riders in the country side, with one having an unfortunate fall.

Last, I want to share some of these handkerchiefs with you. You would be amazed at how many of our clients collect beautiful handkerchiefs! Not just for blowing your nose, they are often ironed flat and matted and framed for the most stunning art work in a room.

Are you a lavender or purple fan?

One last thing:

When I was a little girl growing up in Europe, older ladies had lavender hair! Especially when they were Belgian, for some reason. My grandmama played bridge twice a week with her “ladies” {a favorite of mine because she always served the best cakes and chocolates which she shared with me!} and one of her friends had lavender purple hair. She scared me a little.

But now that I am older, I’m thinking she had the gumption to do what she wanted, she colored her hair lavender. At my hair dresser’s, many of the younger girls have purple or pink or lavender hair some months. I really like it! Hmmmm…I’m wondering if I would ever be brave like that? My girls say I’m too old – but then there was my grandmama’s friend – she was certainly elderly. I’ll keep thinking about it!

 

A BIENTOT

 

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