Tin Plates 3

The design of this tin plate showing a view of Orwell Park, Suffolk, is taken from an English transfer-printed plate made by the John and Richard Riley Company in Burslem, Staffordshire, about 1825.




Another tin plate in my collectibles of four.

African Hand Carved Wooden Warrior Mask (Maasai)

For tourists, the Maasai could be the most known Kenyan tribe. The warrior people in the tribe wore this mask to scare their opponents and to identify themselves within a tribe.

Originated from Kenya, this mask has been hand carved by the Maasai tribesmen with the same colors used in clothing and face painting of the Maasai daily life.

This African mask has two tribesmen facing each other with traditional patterns on the face. The value of each mask derives from the fact that each one is an original work of art. It is individually hand carved so there is no identical one.

These masks have become one of the popular African souvenirs and are hung on walls in homes around the world.

My eldest daughter bought this mask during her flight to Nairobi during 2004-2005. This is not the only mask she bought. There's also a few other African souvenirs. Africa is the place she'd still like to revisit.

2008 Olympic Games Pocket Watch

The 2008 Summer Olympics - the Games of the XXIX Olympiad took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. It was the third time that the Summer Olympic Games were held in Asia, after Tokyo, Japan in 1964 and Seoul, South Korea in 1988. I have no idea at all that there is this Commemorative Watch of the Olympic Games unitl I started doing this blog of my collectibles. I found it in my show cabinet. After asking my family member of it's source, it turned out that it was a souvenir from my husband's colleague, Molrudee who visited Beijing during the Olympics Games. The colour of both the watch and it's box is silver but because I'm a poor photographer, it looks like gold in this picture.

Deft blue windmill pepper holder

This pepper holder has also been in my collectibles for over ten years. It is not from the Netherlands or any places abroad. I bought it locally right after I got the windmill hanging from my supervisor. However, the quality of the ceramic is so fine that I'm not sure whether part of Delftware products are manufactured here in Thailand. The difference is only there's no Delft Blue print on it.


To tell you the truth, I already found one manufacturer in Lumpang, Thailand.

Chokin Art Collection from Japan

THE ART OF CHOKIN

Chokin is the ancient Japanese art of engraving copper and gilding it with precious 24K Gold and Silver since the 12th century.

The engravings were orginally created to decorate the armament of SAMURAI warriors.

At least I was able to buy a few souvenirs from Narita Airport on my one night only in Japan on the way back from my short trip to USA last year.

Santa in an old veteran and vintage English car

At some point, one of my dearest friends, Onn learnt that I'm a collectibles lover and snowglobe is one of my favourite collectibles. In 2009, Onn went to visit her daughter, Nong Omm who is studying in England. She handpicked two snowglobes for me. They are my first Christmas snowglobes. This is one of them.


Instead of sleigh ride, this Santa Clause chooses to travel in an old veteran and vintage English car. I'm sure that he's loaded lots of toys and goodies in his car too.

Thanks Onn and Nong Omm. It's a high quality snowglobe and I love it so much.

The Big Apple

Why do they call New York City the "Big Apple"?


In early 1920s, a reporter named his racing column "Around The Big Apple" after the term used by New Orleans stableman to refer to New York City's racetracks. And then, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, New York City's Jazz musicians began to refer New York City as the "Big Apple." In 1971, to increase tourism, the Big Apple has been adopted an official recognised reference to New York City with the hope that the red apples would serve as a bright and cheery image of New York City. Since then, New York City has officially been The Big Apple.

This is one of my magnet collectibles. The red big apple embraces the city of New York. Even though there's no longer the original WTC in New York, this magnet still shows how once the Twin Towers became seen as a New York icon, in the same league as the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the Statue of Liberty.

Got it from my eldest daughter on her flight to New York in 2004-2005.

Tin Plate 2

Here's another tin plate collectible I bought from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 2001.


This floral design with a blue scale background is taken from an English porcelain dish made at the Worcester factory about 1770-75.

Snowman Snowglobe

Being so fond of snowman and so obsessed with snowglobes, I must admit that I'm double happy when my colleague, Sinee gave me this snowglobe. Sinee went for training at UNHQs, New York in November 2009. Since it was in winter, I asked her to find snowglobe with Christmas meaning. This smiling snowman holding "SNOW" label and standing next to Christmas tree makes me feel cold when looking at it.

Thank you Sinee, it's now one of my three christmas snowglobes collectibles.

Dutch Wooden Clog Sailing Ship Vintage Night Light

Wind and water, farmers and fishermen, windmill and sailboat, they associate with each other one way or another. These words have a very special fascination for the true-born Dutchman.

Wooden clogs are worn by farmers, fishermen and others to protect their feet. They have been accredited as safty shoes. Nails, fishing hooks and sharp implements will not go through a wooden clog.

Even though nowadays people no longer wear clogs for everyday use, traditional footwear is still associated with Holland. Today, Dutch clogs are primarily a beloved tourist souvenir.

The age of this Dutch Wooden Clog Sailing Ship Vintage Night Light is almost 30 years. My husband bought it from his trip to the Netherlands. The smaller one is not a night light.

Cable Car - the Icon of San Francisco City

The Inventor of the cable car, Andrew Hallidie, a Scot mining engineer moved to U.S. in 1852. His father filed the first patent in Great Britain for the manufacture of wire- rope. As an engineer, he found use of this technology in California’s Gold Country, in designing and building a suspension bridge across Sacramento’ American River and to pull heavy ore cars out of the underground mines on tracks.

After witnessing a horrible accident on a typically damp summer day in 1869, he got an idea to use the technology to become full blown-cable car railway system to deal with San Francisco’s fearsome hills.

On August 2, 1873 Andrew Hallidie tested the first cable car system near the top of Nob Hill at Clay and Jones Streets. Cable cars remained the primary mode of transportation until April 18, 1906 earthquake, when most of system was damanged. A municipal railway replaced most lines afterward. Today, they're the only vehicles of their kind still in operation and they are designated National Landmarks.

San Francisco was the first city to have cable cars.
I got this magnet from Souvenir Shop at Pier 39 San Francisco during my 7 days trip to LA-Las Vegus-San Francisco in May 2009. It was a fun and tired trip. I enjoyed San Francisco Scenary, the cable car, Lombard Street and the Golden Gate. Such a memorable trip.

Learn More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_cable_car_system

Three Little Angels

Three ceremic angels playing violin, mandolin and tamborine represent my three daughters. They were given as Christmas gift from my husband's colleague in 2009. Though neither of my daughters play those instruments, they are now placed on a piano together with other musical stuffs.

Bookmark - St. Patrick's Cathedral

On my trip to New York in 2001, I had a chance to attend Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Saint Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church.

It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and a parish church which acts as the religious centre of a parish.

I bought this bookmark from a souvenir shop on the way to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It has been used with my bible since then.

Delft Blue Windmill Hanging

The Netherlands - The land of the windmills.

Dutch Windmill is one of the first things people recall about The Netherlands. It was said that the mills did not originate in Holland but had been introduced to Europe by the Middle East during the times of the Crusades. Windmills are said to have existed in Holland from about 1200.

There are a about 1150 remaining windmills in the Netherlands. The Dutch only counts complete workable mills, and to add to this number, many extensive rebuilds of the mills have occurred during the past ten years. All these must have produced an overwhelming and unforgettable impression on the Dutch themselves as well as on foreigners. To day we cannot imagine The Netherlands without the windmills.

Delft is synonymous with ceramics. Ceramics have been produced in the Netherlands for many centuries. It does not have to be Delft blue, it can be decorated with many different colours.

Decorative Delftware is amoung the most popular gifts and collectibles from the Netherlands. The hand-painted motif represents many different aspects of Dutch life and history.

I got this Delft Blue Windmill Hanging from Mr. Suthat Ungsuthornrungsi who is also one of my former supervisers. He brought several souvenirs for his subordinates when he visited the Netherlands. I chose this one because of the big Windmill. It has been in my collectibles for over 10 years.

Collectible Glass Miniature Rabbits

This set of 6 art glass miniatures is simply stunning! Each is hand blown from blue, yellow, red, brown, pink, purple and white fused art glass in the shape of a rabbit.


This collectible is from Germany, my husband's colleague, Ravivan bought it on her visit in 2007. She just confessed that she thought my husband was born in the year of the rabbit which in fact it's the year of the dragon. The miniatures are so cute that I would welcome any other year.

Tin Plate 1

During my trip to New York in 2001, I also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I spent almost the whole day and it's worth the tiredness. I bought four tin plates and this is one of them.

They are light and unbreakable. The original porcelain plates were used in some of the great British houses of centuries ago. People wouldn't know these are not the original porcelain plates until they are picked up.

This design called the “Duke of Gloucester” Pattern is taken from an English Worcester soup plate made about 1780. This plate produced for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York by Elite Gift Boxes, England.

It's now standing as a decorative plate in my kitchen and part of my priceless collectibles.

Anniversary

This music box was a present for my wedding anniversary from my husband's friend, Mr. Santisook. The lady's playing violin and the man's playing guitar with country scenary circled the base. The song used is a line from 'You've got a friend'. It's a peaceful love, isn't it? Such a meaningful collectible.

The Statue of Liberty

I've never been abroad until I was 46 and that's when I had my passport issued. I was part of ESCAP team designated to go for training in UNHQs, New York during October - early November 2001 which was less than a month after the 911.

Though the Statue of Liberty was closed to visitors, I had a chance to look at it from afar when I visited Battery Park where ferries depart for the Statue of Liberty. I bought this from a souvenir shop as a remembrance that at least I had caught sight of The Statue of Liberty.

The Statue of Liberty, officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States in 1886. It is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. The Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown over the years, not only for this international friendship but also for freedom and democracy. In 1984, The United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site.

Thanks to Khun Anchalee Charnsupharindr, my former supervisor who gave me an opportunity to be part of ESCAP team.

Lantern

A candle night event in Osaka supports lights-out initiatives of the Earth Hour campaign which aims to raise awareness of climate change issues. The Earth Hour campaign gives people a voice on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.

While Earth Hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, a small group of people in Japan have managed thousands of people to turn off their lights and use less electricity through the Candle Night Event since 2003.

Let's enjoy quality time with our family and friends while turning off the lights during Earth Hour. With a small candle lit in the dark, it is time to retrieve "connectedness" with people, nature and the planet.

Please note that candles are obviously not supposed to replace the electric lights during awareness-raising events like this, they are only part of the fun. Make sure that beeswax candles are used. Beeswax candles are smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic. They are also made of natural products, not petroleum-based materials, so they are effectively carbon neutral.

My eldest daughter bought this brass lantern on her flight to Osaka in 2005. Although she didn't buy it on the Candle Night event, this collectible reminds me that people in Osaka are front runners of the age.

The Barcelos Rooster Ring Bell

Why the Rooster on top?

The Barcelos Rooster Ring Bell is a unique good luck gift. The Barcelos Rooster has become a national symbol of Portugal. It symbolises "The winning of justice when you fight for it". The legend is many hundred years old. There are serveral versions of the legend.

A young man was sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. He swore he was innocent but no one believed him. Before he was hung, he made his last wish to meet his judge.

The young man went to see the judge and the judge even served him a fried rooster. Again he swore his innocence. All of the sudden, he lifted his right hand's two swear fingers and bursted out "By the Virgin Mary and the Holy John, I once again swear that I am innocent. If I lie, the rooster on that tray will stay where it is, but if I am telling the truth, it will rise and crow". Right after his words, the rooster was in its earlier feathers, standing up and crowing so it was heard all over Barcelos. The young man was immediately released.

I don't remember how I got this. No one gave it to me. My daughters didn't buy it. I asked my husband if someone gave it to him. He couldn't recall at all. So, there's a possibility that it belonged to my grandma who was also a Portugese. I took few things from her house years after she passed away.

Vintage Music Box

Austria-Vienna-Salzburg

The hot-hit talk in my office now is about Vienna. Four of my colleagues will be going to Vienna on an official business the end of this month. They talk about hotel reservations, what to bring with them, where to eat, etc. They even plan to have a one day tour to Salzburg. Oh God, I'm so jealous as they are going to Austria. Austria is famous for its beautiful mountain scenery. It's the land of art and music. Vienna has long been an important centre of musical innovation. In eighteenth and nineteenth century, composers were drawn to this city and made Vienna the European capital of classical music. Austria-Vienna-Salzburg, The home of Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven and others.

This reminds me of one of my collectibles, i.e. a piano-shaped music box with large, resin-carved cameo on cover. I got this vintage music box in 2005 from my eldest daughter who was then a flight attendant with Emirates Airlines. A pink piano, with, raised goldtone design and piano-keys with large ivory-color cameo of a lovely dancing couples. This music box plays music when the top of the piano is up and does not play when the top of the piano is down.

Snowman Candles

Though a snowman myself, standing alone in the bleak midwinter can be too shivering. Standing together with my so-called twin makes me feel warmer.




Can anyone tell me who made the first snowman and came up with the idea of placing snowballs on top of each other and using a carrot or cherry for a nose, sticks for arms and stone for eyes? To date snowman has become the symbol of wintertime fun which appears everywhere on almost everything, from christmas decorations to greeting cards to seasonal sweaters to sock etc. And now I proudly present these two snowman candles.

I got these collectibles from Pi Yao (my so-called twin) when she travelled to Germany in October 2004. She bought these candles from a souvenir shop which was located opposite Shopping Chocolate Factory Outlet Centre, Lindt, Aachen. Because these candles are so cute and because I don't want my memory of Pi Yao's thought of me every time she travels, to melt away , I never light them. It's me who has been lightened up everytime I look at them.

Snowglobe - Disney theme park

This is my first Disney Snowglobe. Actually, I have been in love with snowglobes for more than a decade. Snow globe is a transparent sphere usually made of glass or plastic with miniature scenes or objects, water and white particles of "snow", which when shaken, falls on the scenery.

From what I've read, snow globes was believed to originate from France during the early 1800s. In 1889, a snow globe featuring a model of the newly built Eiffel Tower was produced to commemorate the International Exposition in Paris which marked the centenary of the French Revolution. Snow globes became popular throughout Victorian-era Europe, with snow globes featuring religious figures, scenes, medals, flowers and other objects produced and sold in Germany, Russia, Poland, England and other countries. Snow globes sometimes have a built-in music box that plays a Christmas carol or other songs.

My colleague, Pui Nawaporn visited Los Angeles in April 2010. Out of my request to buy one of disney snow globes, she was so kind to carry this for me.

This Snowglobe featuring favorite Disney characters enjoying the Parks with Alice in Wonderland in teacup on top, Mickey Mouse and Minnie in the globe while the wonderful characters of Disney such as Snow White, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Aurora Princess, Nemo, Merlin and other disney characters circle the base of this snowglobe.

After this snowglobe is under my possession, I started to fall for other disney snowglobes. After searching the internet, I couldn't wait to have more of them. Gosh, they are so beautiful. Thank you Pui, it's now my most favourite collectible.

The Wizard of Oz

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow Why, oh why can't I? last line from Over the Rainbow, soundtrack from The
The Wizard of Oz.


The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by W.W. Denslow. It was originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900. It has since been reprinted countless times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of both the 1902 stage play and the extremely popular, highly acclaimed 1939 film version, directed by Victor Fleming with Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale . The story is about a girl named Dorothy Gale who was swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home.

Back to the year 1996-1997, my eldest daughter, Foil was an AFS exchanged student to Manhattan, Kansas, USA. Upon completion of an exchanged programme, her friend Irlanda gave this music snowglobe to her. It's now one of my favourite collectibles.

Egg Huamanga Carved Stone

This collectible reminds me back to 1999 when my colleague went for training in UNHQ, New York, he brought this carved stone to me. The figurines inside the egg-shaped carved stone represent Christmas Manger with Baby Jesus surrounded by his adoring parents, beautiful animals, and visitors from the East. Being Catholics myself, I was so delighted to have this carved stone as one of my precious collectibles, thanks to Jaswant Singh.

This nativity piece is hand made in Peru out of pure Huamanga Stone. It is a natural white stone found in the Ayacucho region of Peru. Since this is a natural stone, there may some variations within the stone, but this is what makes each piece so unique. Also, there is adistinctive fine glitter within the stone sparkles as the light reflects off of the stone. The figurines within the Huamanga stone were hand carved separately. A lot of work went into this piece of art.

Vietnamese lacquerwares

I got Vietnamese lacquerwares from my supervisor, Mr. Prasong Ongpreechakul who visited Vietnam on an official business in January 2010. He asked me to take one. I took the copper since there were only two colours left, i.e. copper & gold. A few months later, he was kind enough to let me have the other when I shamelessly asked for it. The silver? Hmm. It's an honour my colleague, B-Rachada allowed me to take picture of it. It's clearly seen that they are very tantalizingly beautiful when there are together. A bit sad I had to return it to her. Apart from refrigerator magnets, these are my first collectibles from Vietnam.

Lacquerware is a long-standing Vietnamese tradition. Usually applied to a papier mache object. It is both light and durable and is also an artwork technique. The quality of lacquerware depends upon the number or processes used - good quality products are expensive. A wide range of lacquerware, and lacquer artwork and objects, are available in souvenir shops and galleries in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Fan

I don't really remember my first collectibles but I do remember the one I just got recently. It's a gift from my dearest friend Pi Yao. With the help of her daughter (Jay) who's now doing Phd in Germany. She just asked her friend who visited her during the vocalnic ash in April 2010 to bring it to her mom in Bangkok.

This collectibles from Germany is a fan showing Romantisches Heidelbert (Romantic Heidelbert). Heidelberg is regarded as one of Germany's most beautiful town. The town offers not only a world-famous castle, romatic alleys in the old town and Germany's oldest university, but also a modern scientific and economic infrastructure of international acclaim and a very lively and multifaceted culture scene. Heidelbert has a history of more than 800 years and is a lively center of the metropolitan Rhine-Neckar region today.