Musings

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Lladro

Lladro has been producing highly collectible porcelain art and figurines since 1953. The company, founded in the village of Almassera is now headquartered in Tavernes Blanqes, Spain. It continues to produce some of the best loved and highly collectible porcelain available. Their work is made of hard-paste porcelain of a tightly guarded “recipe”.  Anyone who collects fine porcelain is bound to find a Lladro that particularly suits their taste, and collection.

According to “The Prudent Collector”, through 1970, Lladro maker’s marks were pressed into the porcelain. From 1960 until 1963 the mark bore the name LLADRO with ESPANA in capital letters underneath, and the words “MADE IN SPAIN” below that. From approximately 1965 to 1970, they removed the ESPANA, keeping the stylized LLADRO and MADE IN SPAIN pressed into the porcelain.

It was in 1971 that they first started imprinting items with the blue back stamp (or bottom stamp) featuring the bell flower that collectors have come to associate with the company.

At Wonderland, we have been fortunate enough to secure this incredible piece, known as “The Harpooner”. This is a retired piece in perfect condition. It stands about 20″ tall and comes with a wood and velvet display base.  Check him out on your next visit, and as always, contact us with any questions you may have!

8251 S. Main Street, Helen, GA 30545

706-969-7075

mh106antiques@gmail.com

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Fall Finally Arrives in the Mountains!

After a long, hot summer that managed to stretch well into October, temperatures in Helen are starting to reach that wonderful fall crispness. Can the changing colors be far behind?  Probably not, judging by this picture, snapped in Unicoi State Park – one of our neighbors, just down the road. At the Georgia State Parks website, “Leaf Watch 2018” is in full swing! On the site you can see pictures showing you how far into leaf season we’ve made it this year, learn about all the scenic places to witness nature’s change of color palette, and even find a link to weather.com’s fall foliage map.

You may be thinking “Wait. Isn’t this a site about antiques? Why am I reading about fall colors and crisp temperatures?” Well, sorry – I can’t help myself. Fall is such a splendid time of year – a season that evokes the most nostalgic feelings. There is something about the change of nature from summer to autumn, with its amazing  warm colors, the smell of pumpkin spice everywhere, and the anticipation of the upcoming holidays that makes me even more antiques-crazy than I am. Where better than this bucolic setting to browse through rows and rows of some of the most beautiful things we have found from days gone by?

So, whether you are planning your trip to the beautiful North Georgia mountains, or are lucky enough to live here, we hope you will take some time to visit Hidden Treasures (now Wonderland Antiques and Curiosities) to see what “new” old things we have in store.

8251 S. Main Street, Helen, GA 30545

706-696-7075

mh106antiques@gmail.com

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Featured Items – Victorian and Edwardian Furniture

There are many concepts of what constitutes an “Antique”.  To Millennials, an antique is anything from the 1970s or 1980s – long before they were born.  For others, it feels antique if it was made before 1950. According to US Customs laws, an antique is any work of art, piece of furniture, decorative object, or the like created or produced 100 years before the date of purchase.

Using US Customs standards, anything built before 1918, then, is “officially” an antique.  Whatever your “cutoff” is, most of us living today would agree that objects produced during the Victorian (1837 – 1901) and Edwardian (1901 – 1910) eras qualify as a bona fide antiques.

Given that, I want to introduce you to some of my favorite Victorian and Edwardian furniture,  now available in the store.

This table with a complete set of balloon back chairs is a magnificent example.  The dual pedestal legs are ornately carved and the chairs with a carved rose detail have a lovely patina, earned of their age.  The upholstery was replaced in, my best guess, the 1970s.

When we purchased this piece, we referred to it as “the piano desk”. It was only later that we learned our instincts were almost correct.  This is a re-purposed organ!   While we are not big fans of “re-purposing”, especially if it involves paint of any kind, this piece is beautiful and functional. It is a desk any office would be able to display proudly. Our personal preferences aside, re-purposing does seem to be all the rage these days. In this case, we think the results were pretty stunning.

Speaking of musical instruments, do you remember pump organs?  These were sometimes called “reed organs” because the bellows pumped air across the reeds which produced the sound. Also referred to as harmoniums or melodeons, these beauties were wildly popular from the 1850s until the 1920s, when the piano began to replace them in society. You will see these beautiful pieces of furniture re-purposed into desks, bars, even vanities.  I happen to love this one just the way it stands.  It could use a little love from a collector who wants to make it functional again. Half of the keys work to produce music.  The furniture itself is still a sight to behold with intricate carving, a lovely finish, and platforms for pedestal candles on each side of the keyboard.

This is just a small sampling of what is available in the store today! In future posts I will be showing you antiques and collectibles from other eras, so stay tuned.

Better yet, stop by the store at 8251 S. Main Street, Helen, GA.

Call: (706) 696-7075

mh106antiques@gmail.com

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Welcome to Wonderland

Welcome to Wonderland! We are delighted that you found our little corner of the web.

What is it that we find so intriguing about antiques?

For us – everything. It is the smell of old wood. It is the warmth of one-hundred year-old patina. It is the style of ages past. It is the memories evoked by touching a bowl or teacup that is “just like my nana used to have”. It’s the delight of finding a toy that you spent HOURS playing with as a child.

We are also intrigued by the story – the idea and the history of a thing. Even if we don’t know the exact provenance of a beautiful old thing, our imaginations can fill in the blanks.  Take, for example, this old Zenith radio.     

If seeing this gorgeous art deco style furnishing with a waterfall front, sparkling glass crystal, and genuine bakelite knobs has you has you thinking of “A Christmas Story” and Ralphie listening to Little Orphan Annie and dreaming of his Secret Decoder Pin, then you have the idea, exactly.  Can you imagine how proud the “old man” was they day he brought this wireless beauty home for his family to enjoy? If his eyes boggled at the sight of a glowing leg lamp, imagine the pride he felt at providing his family a brand new console radio. The joy must have been palpable.

So, now you know why the antique bug has bitten us so hard. It is so much more than buying and selling. It is finding, and enjoying. Learning, and sharing. We hope you will stop in and spend some time browsing and sharing your story.