My collection of Australian pokerwork items grew last weekend with the addition of two more vases.
The two vases in the centre of the photo above were found at last Sunday's Aladdin's Fair.
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| My two latest pieces of pokerwork |
It was the large vase that caught my eye first rather than the small one. I ended up taking them both as it really made very little difference to the overall price whether I only bought one or both of them. I figured that I could always try to resell the small vase if I wanted to or I could use it as an experimental restoration candidate sometime. Always better to try things out first on the minor pieces in your collection just incase things end in disaster. The small vase does however still have some naive charm about it. It is simply decorated with some gum nuts and gum leaves.
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| Detail of the gum blossom decoration on the large vase (flash was used to help bring out the rich colours) |
The large vase is decorated with gum blossoms and gum leaves. It's the depth and richness of the decoration on this vase that I love. This type of decoration utilises tinting and shading rather than the deep burnt lines used on the small vase.
There is however some deterioration to the varnish finish on this vase, especially around the top. Not sure if this can be successfully corrected without damaging the original decoration. I will have to pick the brain of a friend of mine who collects and restores pokerwork to see what can be done. Until then I will refer to this deterioration as being the vases "patina" or "acceptable age related character".
And so my Australiana collection continues to grow. Seems to be my main focus at the moment. What will be next?
