Blooming Flowers

Although it's autumn as the chilly evenings tell me along with all the leaves changing colors and falling from the trees there are still flowers in bloom in some of the gardens around town, even my geraniums on my balcony are holding up pretty well since we still have those warm sunny days.  Today is the last day for the ESN scavenger hunter theme on color and many of the hunters have many colorful items for offer for all the seasons of the year.  I'm still operating in summer time mode though so I chose a floral plate from Katzzs Kloset that is just bursting with colorful blooms. Please stop on by and visit all the fine merchants at Ecrater Stores Network for your fall, winter and holiday shopping needs, there's a bountiful mother lode of merchandise to choose from!

Bakelite Round Serving Tray Vintage Melamine

Russian Khokhloma

Russian Khokhloma is a style of folk art famous for it's rich colorful designs painted on wooden spoons, plates, cups, bowls and other items then lacquered then fired.  It's thought to date back to around the 17th century and is named after a village that today is known as the Koverninsky District of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.  (Now there's a mouthful!)

The craft has undergone little change over time and is so distinct one can hardly confuse it with any other pattern – a rich floral motif mixing red, black and festive gold (the latter being in fact silver before it is given a few coats of special lacquer and put in the furnace); and the distinctive effect it has when applied to cheap and light wooden tableware or furniture, making it look heavier, metal-like, and glamorous

For Russians, golden leaves and flowers symbolize a happy life and are believed to bring light and wealth.

Despite being so very Russian, khokhloma utensils are seldom found in Russian homes - even more seldom are they used for their primary purposes, as spoons, cups, bowls or dishes. They are much more often seen traveling abroad to remind visitors of their trip to Russia. (ref: Wikipedia and Russiapedia).

I, myself, have never been to Russia but I was able to procure a lovely strawberry patterned decorative ladle and a small decorative spoon in a different pattern that I offer in my store.  Below is a photo of the ladle.  Visit us at Le Petit Marche!