Treen

Since finishing my academic writing last week, I have reverted to something more basic - cleaning the house - which I never knew could be such a pleasure! The pleasure is partially in being able to find the floor again (grin)...and partially in it being a mindless activity, but still something which feels useful - now how's that for a nice display of Protestant work ethic?!

I like to rotate collections - so this 'tidying' includes the packing away - for now - of my little collection of wooden items - known in the world  of antiques as 'Treen' (made from trees). I thought you might like to see some of them - so here they are, all lined up and ready to go (in a box!).

The red horse on the extreme left is one of five...hand painted and I think from Norway or Denmark, as I suspect are the two small wooden dolls on the right. There are several pieces of 'chip-carving'. The three figures at the back right are, I think from Spain - two of Don Quixote and one of Sancho Panza on his donkey. The little oriental wooden dolls are destined for a dolls house when I can decide just which one to put them in. The napkin ring on the right has a carved edelweiss - so may be Swiss, while the little figure next to it, finely carved in boxwood, is, I think, Bavarian (along with the taller of the three wooden dolls).

The chilly, wet, dreary part of autumn has arrived - chilling and wetting me when I went into town this morning. So after working hard yesterday, the Protestant work ethic is going on the back boiler for this afternoon - I am going to sit on the sofa with a hot cup of tea, read a magazine and write in my journal. Cup of tea at Autumn Cottage, anyone? :-)

Comments

[Cass at That Old House]

Love your wooden treasures. I remember when I learned what Treen meant -- when I first visited a back-in-the-woods antiques place called The Treen Shop, near Pittsburgh.
Gone now, sadly.

Love the carved figures!
Cass

[Brigitte]

Oh yes, thanks for the cup of tea! May I help yu a bit with your collection? The red wooden horse is from Sweden, from a region called Dalarna, it's north of Stockholm. So these horses are also called Dalarna horses.

[CatherinE]

Love the "Treen!" I've never heard that before. Wish I could be there to share a cup of tea with you & talk about your treasures.

[Terri Derrick]

MMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[Ardi]

We still share cups of tea - though not face-to-face now. The treen collection (I'd never heard that term either) is wonderful. So eclectic! I wish I could see the little dollie next to the tallest Don Quixote figures in the back. She is sort of hidden. She looks so sweet. Glad you are able to get back to some clearing up and once that's done, I imagine you'll be heading to the antiques arcade...: ) Ardi

[Margaret Lambert]

Those little Dalarna ("Dala") horses are irresistable. They are still made, but lots of regions which were famous for their wood carvers have moved on to other sources of income. The covered box is probably Norwegian, and I think the carved boots are from the Saami culture of northern Scandinavia. It's a charming collection!

[Joan]

I just made a batch of pumpkin scones with cream cheese icing so I'll be right over!