Friday, October 25, 2013

Joyas

Google Translate tells me that the Spanish for 'jewels' is 'joyas' - I sure hope it's right, as I spend all day telling students not to trust that programme... but here are some beautiful, jewel-like Spanish treasures for you:
They almost seem like a beautiful children's craft project to me, made of thousands of tiny pieces of sticky paper, or maybe wine gums...
They're actually tins, imported into France containing sweets, something like the vintage Huntley and Palmers tins I sometimes find on Vide Greniers stalls. I've never seen anything else as spectacular as these jewelled Spanish tins, though. The first time I saw one I enquired the price and the antique stall holder said to me: 'People are always asking about the tin, but it's not for sale, only the contents!' After that I seemed to see the same dratted tin with the same stubborn brocante dealer about once a year, but never any others, until...
...I bought the lozenge-patterened one with the pale roses earlier this year. It was lovely but a little lonely, and slightly lost amongst less textured tins I own. Until...
Our wonderful housesitters spotted this black-centred tin, FULL OF BUTTONS, at the brocante market in Toulouse and decided that it had 'Floss' written all over it. The wonder of generous, blog-reading housesitters!
They saw it and they knew I'd love it and they wonderfully bought it for me, all without knowing I had another one just looking for company.
Late in the summer I bought the frankly inferior (untextured) tin at the top of the frame, with the idea that two's OK but three's a display. And it seems I was right!
You may remember the frame - it's a complete fake, made of solid foam, but it does mean you can play around with it like this!

Some of my favourite tins are in this stack, but I think they look ordinary compared to the glamorous Spanish tins to their left.
It's hard to snap a photo of the whole thing - the mantelpiece is never in natural light, but here's my best effort. Marie-Antoinette is tucked onto the gold rim of the mirror - can you spot her?

Thanks for all your comments - it's now the holidays and my timetable has reduced just a little bit, so I'm trying to take the time to reply when I can - it's ALWAYS lovely to hear from you!

11 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

How pretty your tins are. I don't think I've ever seen one like them.

Aida said...

Hi Floss, those tins are so unique and colourful. They must have put a lot of work into each of them. And how clever are you to put them in a frame, its perfect to display and best of all thank you for sharing them with us. And oh I could see Marie Antoinette on the rim of that golden mirror, very artistic!

Thank you for your visit today and for the prayers.

Hope you have. Wonderful weekend.

Winkel's Crazy Ideas said...

Good morning from a wet an foggy Norway Floss. Still not fully light here and oh so grey...until l read your post and saw those beautiful tins that is. They are truly amazing and l love the soft pink rose in the middle of all that pattern. I have never seen anything like them before. What did they originally hold? Bisquits? Can see Marie Antoinette peeping out from the corner of the frame. I loved that post too, the one about the hole. I find that sort of thing intriguing. I hope you and your family have a really lovely weekend. Pam xx

Lululiz said...

The three tins looks fabulous displayed in that frame, great idea! I have come across tins like that at vide greniers a couple of times, and their intricate designs really are quite amazing.

Elderberry-Rob said...

I have never seen tins like this, they are absolutely beautiful and you have displayed them in a really fun way. Betty

Kezzie said...

They're lovely x

Fat Dormouse said...

Lovely tins there Floss! I'll keep my eyes open for pretty tins for you (not that I often go looking at other people's tat, as you well know!)

Pom Pom said...

Oh, yes! I spotted Marie!
Tins are a cool item. I remember my first tin. My mama brought my sister and I round tins of lemon candies when she returned from a trip to Seattle. Your are so lovely and they look so good just where you have placed them, Floss!

Granny Marigold said...

I love the pretty tins! Good thing I've not seen any at the thrift stores I visit because I have been thinking I should pare down the ones I have! Not add more, ( But I know I would if they were lovely!)

Sue said...

Those tins are gorgeous, quite right to display them there is so much detail in them.I have some old biscuit tins here but have never seen any like those.

Purrfect Haven said...

the tines are lovely, but equally so is your arrangement. talented you. Darcy, Bingley and Helen xxx